Women and the Dichotomy of Literacy: Public/Private Discourse.

By viewing women's literacy within the context of America from the Colonial period until the present, it is clear that men have traditionally shaped and controlled who shall be literate and what shall be viewed as literate, both within and outside the educational system. Women's writing from the Colonial period is virtually non-existent, and studies indicate that women's literacy at this time was low. After mandatory public schooling for both males and females began, the gap between the functional literacy skills of the sexes narrowed considerably between 1780 and 1850. Yet even with the advent of women's education, men reserved serious education for themselves. Although women began to occupy a place of status within the public domain by publishing in most fields after the mid-19th century, women's studies courses still have only marginal status because of the male-controlled educational system. Few women are found in the more powerful positions of public education. Males command a public discourse community of epic proportions, while women have traditionally been restricted to the private sphere. This public/private dichotomy should be replaced with pluralism, which breaks down the male power structure and promotes cooperation rather than control. In the classroom, the emphasis on argumentative discourse and correct usage should be eliminated, and thought given to developing instead a community of cooperation and an awareness of many equally effective ways of communicating through writing. (Fifteen references are appended.) (MM)