THE ROLE AND EFFECTS OF LITERACY IN A GUATEMALAN LADINO PEASANT COMMUNITY.

AN INVESTIGATION WAS MADE OF LITERACY IN A REPRESENTATIVE VILLAGE OF RURAL GUATEMALA. THE COMMUNITY, EL JOCOTE, HAS A SUBSISTENCE ECONOMY DOMINATED BY CUSTOM AND TRADITION AND HAS ONLY MINIMAL CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD. MEMBERS OF FOUR FAMILIES FURNISHED DATA BASED ON LITERACY TESTS AND BOTH STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. FINDINGS INDICATED THAT THERE WERE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LITERACY AND GENERAL LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING IN THE COMMUNITY. LITERATE PERSONS PLACED HIGH EMPHASIS UPON THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOLS FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS, AND REALIZED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOLING AND HEALTH, ECONOMIC STATUS AND GENERAL WELL BEING. OTHERS IN THE PEASANT COMMUNITY DO NOT CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT LITERACY CAN MEAN TO THEM. (JK)