The Communication Initiative
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The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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PAPER The Drum Beat - 24 - Ohio University - Print and Literacy - Beijing

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The Drum Beat - 24 - Ohio University - Print and Literacy - Beijing
Additional Information and Commentary - Please contact the student identified for a full copy of their paper.


By Jing Tian
International Student of Ohio University
July 1999
jt342492@oak.cats.ohiou.edu


14. Print and Human development - Print promotes human literacy

ABSTRACT

Justification

Since the advent of print, knowledge and information can be stored, reserved and disseminated. Literacy, which is a crucial factor in promoting human development was encouraged and enhanced with the increasing output of the press, multiplied number of book-users and enlarged access to the knowledge. Lacy (1996) expressed that "in all the ways in which print affected society, the coming of print achieved its impact primarily through its empowerment of literacy." Before the era of print dominance, the popular culture of humankind remained primarily oral and preliterate. Printing made possible a fast growth in the number of highly literate members of the upper and upper-middle classes, as well as encouraged increasing output of the press on mathematics, bookkeeping, military strategy and tactics, technology and administration. Print greatly enlarged the number of those who had access to the knowledge. The consequence thus was the increased participation and competence of highly
literate populations.

Research Strategy

I have a strong interest in print, including its history, impact, technology and development. I have been learning quite a lot about printing technique and development from my experience as a tour guide for Beijing
Printing Museum. After I decided my topic, I did a number of researches, including content analysis and case study. By consulting with books, journals, reference books, video, online resources, I decide that my topic will focus on print and literacy.

Findings

Print are and remain the most helpful medium in satisfying cognitive needs, such as the desire to learn and improve, the development of good taste, and as the best means of gratifying affective needs. However, the high and low literacy families differ in how much of their lives are mediated by print. For the high-literacy families, print use permeates their lives. For the low-literacy families, the use of print is relevant only to parts of their lives. The
hope to avoid illiterate and improve low literate is the experience with print. It is essential for the society to produce wide varieties of print resources, presenting humans with opportunities for experiences with print, and developing general literacy in a nation.

In a summary, print is portable. Print is permanent. Print is authoritative. Print has power. The ability to read and the ability to understand what is being read are developmental skills that empower humans.