Defining reading, literacy and other related concepts

FOR SOME TIME NOW, BUT PARTICULARLY DURING THE LAST CENTURY, LITERACY AND READING HAVE BEEN OBJECTS OF IN­TEREST FOR THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY AND INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES. THIS SITUATION HAS BROUGHT INTO THE OPEN THE EXISTENCE OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE DEFINITION OF LITERACY AND READING, ESPECIALLY ONCE THEIR INFLUENCE ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ITS LINK WITH BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED. THIS PAPER ANALYSES THE MEANING OF SUCH TERMS AS LIT­ERACY AND READING, AS WELL AS HOW THESE HAVE CHANGED THROUGHOUT HISTORY AS PRODUCTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION. IT SHOWS THAT THESE TERMS ARE NOT ONLY IM­PORTANT IN THEMSELVES BUT ALSO INASMUCH AS THEIR MEA­SUREMENT VARIES ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITION CHOSEN.