As a follow-up to my last post on Functional illiteracy today, I now address the past.
General illiteracy rates in the 1930s
- In 1930, the US Census reported 4.3% of the population aged 10 and over as illiterate, meaning they could not read and write at all.
- For those aged 14 and over, the illiteracy rate was slightly higher at 4.7%.
- This was a significant improvement compared to 1920, where the rate was 6%.
- Illiteracy was more prevalent among the elderly (9.7% for those 65 and older) and less common among children (1.2% for those 10-14).
- Specific demographic groups, such as Native Americans and African Americans, likely experienced higher rates of illiteracy due to historical and societal factors.
Functional illiteracy in the 1930s
- There’s no single, definitive percentage representing functional illiteracy in the 1930s, as the concept wasn’t systematically measured or defined in the same way it is today.
- However, even then, there was an awareness that simply being able to read and write didn’t guarantee the skills needed to navigate daily life effectively.
- For instance, the US Army’s definition during World War II highlighted the importance of being able to understand written instructions essential for basic military functions.
- While the exact percentage is difficult to pinpoint, the prevalence of general illiteracy suggests that functional illiteracy, though less clearly defined, likely affected a considerable portion of the population as well.
I know I am mixing apples and oranges, but I believe that there were more people reading in the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s than we have today. Most entertainment, beyond radio, movies and sports were the written word. This was how the world communicated. Cities had multiple newspapers, in 1892 Chicago had nearly a dozen general circulated newspapers.
Until 1978 Chicago had three major newspapers, the Trib, Times and Daily News. The Sun Times is a result of the merger of the Sun and the Daily Times in 1948.