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Until the early part of the twentieth century, the ability to read and write was commonly thought to be the crucial factor distinguishing 'civilized' from 'primitive' peoples, history from prehistory. While contemporary anthropology has for the most part eschewed such overarching determinism, traces of it remain in much anthropological work on literacy and its consequences for society and the individual. What follows is a critical examination of current thought about literacy, its role in society, and its place in sociopolitical life.
Street et al. (Wed,) studied this question.