著者

河内 真美

出版者

筑波大学大学院人間総合科学研究科教育学専攻

雑誌

教育学論集

巻号頁・発行日

vol.8, pp.21-41, 2012

著者

河内 真美

出版者

日本社会教育学会

雑誌

社会教育学研究 = Japanese journal of adult and community education (ISSN:21883521)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.50, no.1, pp.21-30, 2014

著者

河内 真美

出版者

基礎教育保障学会

雑誌

基礎教育保障学研究 (ISSN:24333921)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.6, pp.88-105, 2022 (Released:2022-09-15)

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The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of functional literacy and changes in its meaning, for the period from the 1950s when it was introduced into UNESCO's literacy strategy to the mid-1970s, by analyzing the relevant UNESCO documents. A while after W. S. Gray advocated the concept, "functional literacy" became the central concept that formed UNESCO's literacy strategy. Gray defined the concept as the knowledge and skills in reading and writing which enable one to engage effectively in various activities in their daily life. After introduced into UNESCO's strategy, the scope of reading and writing activities linked to functional literacy narrowed to one connected with various aspects of development, and then to one connected with economic development, and vocational and technical training in particular. Functional literacy tends to be seen as utilitarian and decontextualized literacy which merely adapt people to existing society. However, the fact that functional literacy used to be linked to people's recreation, critical reading, participation in society, and becoming active agents to build a better society, and that it emphasized the needs and contexts of people and community concerned, shows the great potentiality of the concept.