Commitment, Educative Action and Adults: Learning Programmes with a Social Purpose

Adult learning programmes with a social purpose are the subject of the book. A variety of learning projects which seek to reconstruct society in terms of egalitarian, feminist, religious, pacifist and environmentalist principles, among others, are considered. The focus is on the subjectivity of the participants and on the extent to which their individuality and personal autonomy is respected as socially-committed learning programmes pursue their objectives. This involves a consideration of how programmes declare their objectives, the epistemic and psychological nature of the change they aspire to, the manner in which they legitimate themselves, the associative character of the learning relationships they cultivate and the strategies by which they cope with dysfunctional responses. It is concluded that socially-committed programmes face a dilemma: the more effective their organisation the more the autonomy of participants is threatened, but to incorporate safeguards against invading the individuality of participants would be to dilute their potency as agents of social change. It is recommended that providers and facilitators situate this dilemma in the context of their own biography of commitment and, in the process, develop a disposition of reflexivity.

Table of Contents:
Socially-committed programmes: exemplars and overview Socially-committed programmes Exemplars of socially-committed programmes Issues and questions Parameters and perspectives. The biography of commitment Introduction Socialisation to commitment A biographical approach Linear commitment Sectoral commitment Reactive commitment Flashpoint commitment Conclusion. The discourse of commitment I: declaring one's intentions Introduction 'Unremarkable' intentions Inspirational representation Contestation The participant's standing Conclusion. Educative action: epistemic status and psychological change Introduction Epistemic status Psychological change Conclusion. The discourse of commitment 11: establishing legitimacy Introduction Charismatic legitimacy Normative legitimacy Traditional legitimacy Rational legitimacy Conclusion. The learning encounter: associative forms Introduction Associative forms Membershipping Conclusion. Coping with dysfunctional response Introduction Interpreting dysfunctional response Reacting to dysfunctional response Containing dysfunctional response Conclusion. Conclusion Introduction Human agency Structure Ideology.