ABSTRACT
The debate on the value and purposes of literacy is based on associations between individual literacy and the overall organization of society and its production throughout history. Some historians argue that changes in the distribution of high levels of literacy have significantly affected social, political and economic development (Inkeles and Smith, 1984; Eisenstein, 1979). Others have questioned the connection between literacy and socio-economic change (e.g. Lockridge, 1974). Their studies have found that even when societies value proficient written language, its actual use is often highly circumscribed and its overall impact minimal (Heath, 1982).
