The state or condition of being unable to read or write; illiteracy as a widespread social condition.
Formed from 'analphabet' plus the suffix '-ism', treating illiteracy as a systemic condition rather than an individual trait. Used primarily in 20th-century sociological and educational discourse.
The term 'analphabetism' shifted how societies discussed literacy—moving from blaming individuals to recognizing it as a structural problem that societies must solve through education systems.
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