How we depend on being a literate culture.

Jared ThomasDTC-375Dr. Farman2-15-09Word Count: 914
How we depend on being a literate culture
Are we a predominately oral or literate culture? Depending on the time frame in history you look at this it could be different. Currently we are a literate culture even though we are heavily influenced by and some might say headed back towards an oral culture. We are a literate culture because of our need for written agreements, how our government and business operations function, and the way society has become intellectually driven.
Not long ago if you made a deal with someone a handshake was all that it took to seal the deal. The word of an individual was all you needed; people had a sense of honor and pride in their word. If someone said that they were going to sell you a car for $500 and a someone came along and offered them more money, they would say no thanks the car is sold. Not anymore; in today’s fast paced and greedy world if it’s not in writing then there is no moral or contractual agreement. In today’s literate world words written on paper make all the difference. In order for any type of sale or agreement to be official it must be on paper and signed.
The same holds true for business and government, if it is not written down on paper people tend not to be taken seriously or be held accountable. Let’s take our government for example, every law we live by has to be written down. For example, I can tell someone that it is illegal to run a stop sign and they might take me for my word, however, if they were to break the law and receive a ticket written to them explaining what they did and how much it will cost; they most likely would have a completely different reaction. Another example is in the Senate and the House of Representatives, they have oral meetings and open forums in the form of oral communications, but even these are tracked with meeting minutes and a punch list is written down and sent out as a type of reminder of commitments that were made in the session. Without these meeting minutes and action item lists, things would not get done and people would not be held responsible for their comments. We as a society rely on the written word as our form of a moral reminder to ‘do what we said’ and ‘how we will get things done’.
Not only is this true in our highest levels of government but in our daily lives as well. At work for instance, when most people are asked to do something they require it in some form of writing whether it is in an email, memo, etc. It is a type of literal security blanked we use to make sure that people own up to their words and commitments. This is especially true in today’s society when it seems that no one wants to take responsibility if something goes wrong, they would rather place blame on someone else. Another example of how our society is very textual in nature are the stories that are told orally. It is not good enough for us to take them for their word we have to verify somehow. For example, if I were to tell you that in the old days people used to pay .15 cents for a loaf of bread you may or may not believe me. However, if I were to show you in an old paper or get online and ‘Google’ it for a visual reference there would be no doubt in your mind. As a society we do not take anything for fact unless it is written down or published in some type of media.
As we become a more technology based society, the demand for the literate individuals has increased. Jobs are shifting from labor based positions requiring high school education to a technology based which requires a college education at a minimum. People who do not have the literacy skills required often do not function well in today’s society. Take for example Barry Sanders view on the role illiteracy plays on today’s inner city youth. He states that “young gangbangers: They cannot read or write….They function in wholly new but quite predictable pattern” (53). He goes to say “In fact, to escape from their lives of craziness on the streets, they need to exercise will, but their complete lack of literacy constrains them” (53). Sanders is building upon the point that if you are illiterate in this county you are at a distinct disadvantage at a social level. In order for anyone to be successful in today’s modern world you must be literate in order to communicate in an effective manner.
It is not hard to see when you look around today that we are living in a literate world. Young people are constantly text messaging their friends, people are going on to more and more schooling, and proof must be produced in writing in order for people to believe. This is quite a change from where this society started when stories were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth and how if you wanted to specialize in a job then you were required to learn by watching and hands on training. You always hear about how everything in time comes full circle so the question remains when and will we revert back to an oral culture? I guess only time will tell.


Works CitedSanders, Barry. “A is for ox”. New York: Vintage Books, 1995