Functional illiteracy: why, do we still need to know how to read and write?

Abstract

This work faces the theme of functional illiteracy analyzing its particular influence in the Italian context and trying to formulate suggestions and hints for further research. The answer to the main question, ‘do we still need to know how to read and write?’, represents the fundamental premise of this text, because a lot of choices come from this answer, for us as individuals and as communities, to define who we want to be today and who we want to become in the closest future, especially considering most recent studies linking literacy and innovation.
A brief methodological explanation examines the results of the main international literacy surveys that concern us (PIACC) and data coming from ISTAT’s surveys about reading, highlighting the correlation between illiteracy and cultural behavior and underlining literacy education’s importance in contemporary society. Are then outlined socio-cultural factors considered cause of Italians’ diffident attitude towards reading, keeping in mind today’s digital context.
This work’s main purpose is to sensitize cultural operators such as librarians, teachers and politicians, in aim to plan monitoring strategies and put in place pragmatic actions to better know, face and reduce the phenomenon, confirming how it unavoidably influences our and next generation’s lives.