Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.3/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id MAA03565; Mon, 15 May 2000 12:37:45 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 12:37:45 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <s91fef94.087@langate.gsu.edu> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Daphne Greenberg" <ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:706] Research Note on Gender issues X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 5.5.2.1 Status: OR Tom Sticht has recently posted the following research note to the NLA list. I thought that some of you may be interested. Any thoughts, reactions? Research Note: 5/9/00 A Policy Question: Is the Adult Education and Literacy System (AELS) Meeting the Needs of Men? Over the years, women have consistently outnumbered men in adult education. For instance, in 1970 men made up 43 percent and women 57 percent of enrollees. In 1980 the distribution was 44 percent men and 56 percent women and by 1993 men made up 47 and women 53 percent of enrollees. Generally, adults who participate in adult education programs are a younger group. In 1981, 42 percent of adult enrollees were aged 16 to 24. This declined by 4 percent to 38 percent in 1988 and to 37 percent in 1996. During this time the percentage of adult education participants in the age 25-44 years range increased from 39 percent in 1981 to 46 percent in 1996. As a general trend, since 1976 over 80 percent of adult education participants have been under the age of 45 years. About 10 to 12 percent have been in the age 45 to 64 year range, and about 5 percent have been age 60 years and above. There is an interaction of age and gender in adult education enrollments such that as age increases, the percentage of women enrollees increases. In 1988, men enrollees aged 16-24 outnumbered females by about 3 percentage points, but by age 60, women outnumbered men by some 34 percent. These data raise questions about the relative effectiveness of AELS programs for meeting the needs of men, particulary as men grow older. Are there studies of this phenomenon of the age decrement in male participation in AELS programs? Is this a significant policy issue for the field to be concerned about? What are some of the problems in attracting men to AELS programs? Is this issue related to the differences in the numbers of males and females in the AELS teaching corps? Should this issue appear in the literacy summit list of concerns? See Sticht, T. Beyond 2000 at www.nald.ca full text documents for citations to the above data. Daphne Greenberg Center for the Study of Adult Literacy Georgia State University University Plaza Atlanta, GA 30303-3083 Fax: 404-651-1415 Ph: 404-651-0400 E-mail: alcdgg@langate.gsu.edu
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