# Material Literacy **Domain:** American Literacy / Objects and Conditions **System:** [[wiki/American Ethos|American Ethos]] ## Definition Material Literacy is the ability to understand how objects, clothing, money, maintenance, durability, repairability, carry, and physical conditions shape action. It asks whether a thing increases readiness and reduces friction rather than merely performing identity. Materially literate citizens know enough about the world of tools to choose, maintain, and use them responsibly. Objects become civic when they help competence travel. ## Place in the American System Material Literacy is developed from [[american/American Ethos - Material Literacy|American Ethos - Material Literacy]] and belongs to [[collections/American|the American Collection]]. Its role is to keep one stable concept available across doctrine, character, comportment, material culture, intelligence participation, and alliance work without collapsing those levels into one another. ## Relationships [[wiki/American Material Culture|American Material Culture]] · [[wiki/Prepared Citizen Kit|Prepared Citizen Kit]] · [[wiki/Utility Is Beauty Under Pressure|Utility Is Beauty Under Pressure]] ## Sources / Provenance The governing source is [[american/American Ethos - Material Literacy|American Ethos - Material Literacy]]; the wider architecture is routed through [[wiki/American System|American System]].