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Virginia Tech

Adult new readers: the impact on family

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore the changes that occurred in marital, child and family of origin relationships when an adult who was previously illiterate became literate. Eleven adult new readers participated in in-depth interviews. The results indicate that learning to read is not an isolated skill but changes the "self" of the new reader and subsequently his or her interactional patterns with family members. Six of the participants marriages improved, three of the marriages were ambivalent and two of the marriages deteriorated. All relationships with children improved. Relationships with family of origin members varied. The various outcomes were connected to the levels of support participants received and to how much the participants had previously defined their identities and their lives in relation to their previous illiteracy.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Family and Child Development
Department dc:contributor.department
Family and Child Development
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1993

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Darden, Ellen Clough
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Keller, James F.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Protinsky, Howard O. Jr.
  • Sporakowski, Michael J.
  • Lichtman, Marilyn V.
  • Shea, Laurie

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-10022007-145228
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39520

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Darden, Ellen Clough. Adult new readers: the impact on family. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39520