Comment on New Study: 54% of American Adults Read Below 6th Grade-Levels
darq@kbin.social 8 months agoMaybe you should try reading what people are writing instead of falling back on strawmen.
I do not believe people who cannot read at an adult level are able to access and understand the information and knowledge they need to navigate the world effectively. And that makes them vulnerable.
That's not elitism.
DessertStorms@kbin.social 8 months ago
darq@kbin.social 8 months ago
I'm not talking about intelligence or IQ. I didn't even say "intelligence".
I'm talking about access to information.
Not every single individual needs to be a skilled reader. But people, in general, do need to be able to access information. If significant parts of the population are struggling to read, that's not a condemnation on them as individuals, but can mean that they are vulnerable to being cut off from information they need to live their best lives, or to impact the world in the way they might desire to.
DessertStorms@kbin.social 8 months ago
I do not believe people who cannot read at an adult level are able to access and understand the information and knowledge they need to navigate the world effectively.
That is ableism, plain and simple (you don't have to say a word for it to be heavily implied, but even if we ignore that word, that statement is still ableist). People are able to process information and the world around them in a variety of ways, you not seeing it as effective, or it not being for you, doesn't mean it isn't.
And those who still struggle should be supported where they are, not expected to fit in to the abled (and capitalist) "box".darq@kbin.social 8 months ago
Alright I'm going to admit I chose my words a bit poorly in that quote. Sorry. Because it was not my intention to judge the "effectiveness" of individuals, but rather comment on how populations of people navigate the world.
Which is what the post was originally about. That huge swaths of US folks are reading at a below-par level. This isn't about differences in ability or intelligence. If at the population level, literacy is low, that's about education, or some other influence.
And if large numbers of people are less able to access information, that's a problem. That limits those populations.
People are able to process information and the world around them in a variety of ways, you not seeing it as effective, or it not being for you, doesn't mean it isn't.
While one of my statements was badly worded, now you're starting to put words in my mouth.
And those who still struggle should be supported where they are, not expected to fit in to the abled (and capitalist) "box"
I did not say otherwise, and I would not say otherwise, because I agree.
people struggle because society is designed to exclude them, not because these arbitrary skills are necessary for survival, except for in a capitalist system which only values "productivity"
Yes. Two frameworks of disability. The ableist framework locates the "issue" in the disabled person's body. But that's arbitrary, and we can easily think of the issue being located in the societal constructs that don't take into account different people's abilities, and are thus not fit for purpose.
Primarily0617@kbin.social 8 months ago
You're saying that, in your personal judgement, the average US citizen isn't navigating life as effectively as you deem they should be able to.
That really sounds like elitism to me.
darq@kbin.social 8 months ago
Looking at the current state of the US... That's not the point that you might think it is.
Yes, I think if the average US citizen had better access to information, they might be able to make more positive change to the world around them.
I think people are capable of more than just existing and being "productive" as defined by today's capitalist world. So consider that what you call "functioning", I think people have the potential for more than that, if given the tools. That's the opposite of elitism.
If you are not even going to try and entertain a conflicting perspective, and just sit there and throw accusations, then you are wasting my time.