Hello,

My name is Julie McKinney and I am the moderator of another National
Institute for Literacy discussion list, the Focus on Basics list. We
discuss articles from the publication "Focus on Basics", which is from
the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
(NCSALL). 

This week we will discuss an article about some research which
explored
self-esteem among adult learners (see below for the link to it.) I am
writing to you all for some input on an issue which has come up
already
about this research.

The question is about the validity of measuring self-esteem, when it
seems to be tied into economic, material, and cultural status within a
society. The study we are discussing found that adult literacy
students'
self-esteem was not significantly different from that of doctoral
students. This is surprising because many people presume that this
population is generally at the low end of the economic scale, often
minority, and are at the short end of many factors which seem to
define
self esteem in our society. 

I would love to contact anyone out there who has done research on
self-esteem and/or may be able to speak to this question as it relates
to poverty and race issues. Feel free to contact me directly.

If you want to read the article, it is at this link:

Low Self-Esteem: Myth or Reality
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=1105 

Thanks so much! I look forward to any feedback.

Julie


Julie McKinney
Discussion List Moderator
World Education/NCSALL
jmckinney at worlded.org