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Article: Illiteracy - the neglected enemy in public service.
- Article from:
- Public Personnel Management
- Article date:
- March 22, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 International Personnel Management Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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For several decades, scholars have argued that a caste-like division of labor exists in the United States. One offers high wages, good working conditions, job security, advancement, and equity. The other offers low wages and benefits, poor working conditions, job insecurity, and few chances for advancement (Martin, 1982). Ten years ago, Chaiken (1980) voiced concern over this "two-tiered society" that polarized American workers into upper and lower strata which were growing more and more apart. In the 1990s, one fact that has become painfully apparent is the role of literacy in dividing society into a class of "haves" and "have nots."
Despite concern over worker ...