Who's a Literate? Assessmen t Issues in a Global Perspective

Daniel A. Wagner
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Daniel A. Wagner: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Psychology and Developing Societies, 1990, vol. 2, issue 1, 5-16

Abstract: Demographic and economic changes around the world and the linkage between literacy and development have made literacy a critical issue especially in the developing countries. But the uncertainty about the nature and extent of literacy has necessitated taking a new look at literacy assessment. Policy-makers have been hampered not only by too little data, but also by a failure to capture varying types and levels of literacy in each society. Dichotomies like "literate—illiterate" are inappropriate for conceptualising the problem and limit the potential for more effective decision-making. The paper analyses the problems of determining reliable and valid criteria for literacy. The way in which the problem of "who's a literate?" is resolved has serious policy implications.

Date: 1990
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:psydev:v:2:y:1990:i:1:p:5-16

DOI: 10.1177/097133369000200102

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