SAMUEL MANTEY- ADOM NEWS/MYJOYONLINE.Marriage experts see illiteracy from three angles. The first is
functional illiteracy, whereby a partner is unable to perform his or her duties as a husband or wife.
A wife who is unable to take care of herself, cook, take care of the home, give good intimacy and respect her man is functionally illiterate, even if she is a university graduate.
A man who refuses to show affection or provide security for his family is also seen as an illiterate, even if he holds a PhD.
This means literacy may not be the same as academic qualification.
The second is cultural illiteracy, whereby a partner knows very little about the cultural background and practices of his or her partner.
In every culture, people have their views about how a husband and a wife must behave for a marriage to be seen as good.
A lack of understanding of your partner’s cultural beliefs and practices makes you an illiterate and this may predispose you to marital conflicts.
The third is moral illiteracy, whereby partners have poor attitudes and show wrong behaviours of relationship. A partner may put his or her profession ahead of the relationship.
Some keep secrets of their finances. It is known that globally 30 per cent of partners don’t know how much their partners earn.
It is worse in
Ghana. The worse example of moral illiteracy is where partners abuse the sanity and sanctity of marriage by engaging in
illicit affairs. Here again the majority of Ghanaian couples are victims.
The narrow definition of illiteracy is someone who cannot read or write. There are illiterates all over the world. Even in places like US and
Britain there are people who can’t read or write.
Problems of Illiteracy
Illiteracy is a problem that affects partners negatively and spills over to society. A partner may lack knowledge about current issues, making him or her unable to contribute intelligibly to social issues.
Illiteracy may also be a barrier to
economic activities and good health. Imagine a man who sent a
prescription drug to his sick wife.
The directions for use was indicated on the bottle but the wife was unable to read and because she was in great pain, she took an overdose. It was a fatal mistake.
A partner who is unable to speak English may embarrass his or her partner at a social meeting. Poor grammar and pronunciation could make a partner uneasy. Some people, therefore, never go out to public places with their illiterate partners.
Some people take undue advantage of their partner’s illiteracy and leech their properties or investment. A bank account may be showing red when an illiterate partner may be made to believe she is doing great.
Some men actually love to marry illiterates. They see highly educated women as sophisticated and, therefore, expensive, too exposed and independent to handle.
Educated women claims equal rights and speaks “big English”. An illiterate wife, on the other hand, may be seen as more innocent and easier to handle. She will look up to her man and open up completely for care.
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