In a literature review of adult education research, three characteristics were found in studies on illiterate adults' nonparticipation: a) information has been gathered from participants in literacy programs, b) participants were considered low-literate adults or those who did not finish high school, and c) participants were surveyed through a questionnaire or telephone interviews.This study, however, involved ten illiterate adults (2 women and 8 men) who had not attended school or participated in literacy programs. The research question was: Why do adults not participate in rural literacy programs in western Guatemala? Thirty-eight ethnographic interviews were conducted from November 1996 to January 1997 in Nimasac and Xecaracoj, two villages located in western Guatemala, Central America.Twelve reasons for nonparticipation in literacy programs were described by the informants: 1) / have to work to earn money, 2) / do not like to work [learn] in groups, 3) / do not go to literacy programs because of my personal necessities [obligations], 4) / have been left out, 5) going to school is a waste of time, 6) / fear going to a literacy program, 7) / have no time, 8) the reason is machismo, 9) literacy is not work fit does not produce income], 10) my age is the problem, 11) / got pregnant, and 12) / do not go to a literacy program because of my husband's irresponsibility.An underlying construct for the reasons for nonparticipation, however, showed that the twelve reasons were reinforced at four levels, 1) individual, 2) family, 3) community, and 4) national. A set of interwoven relationships among the four levels, helped to explain that reasons for nonparticipation were constructed by rural Guatemalans.Indigenous people's identities and the preservation of their traditional values such as their native languages, clothing, obedience, respect and submission were the major factors that reinforced rural illiterates nonparticipation in formal education in western Guatemala.Illiteracy was not strictly an educational, but cultural, social, economic and political problem. Generalizing that both literates and illiterates valued education and needed the same skills, knowledge and abilities to become the "standard functional literates" has denied the existence of illiterate adults' culture, context, and needs. / Department of Educational Leadership