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Everything old is new again: Adult education and social justice in the digital age
THESIS

, St. Francis Xavier University , Canada

St. Francis Xavier University . Awarded

Abstract

This thesis is a search for effective programming models for online social justice education. It explores adult education's rich history of social justice activism as a framework for teaching social justice in the digital age. It also investigates modern programming models for social justice education in the traditional live classroom, and explores how these models may be adapted to e-learning in the virtual classroom. I review the literature describing the philosophical underpinnings of adult education, and analyze how different philosophies define and influence the goals of social justice education. I then undertake an historical inquiry into four adult education social justice initiatives—the Antigonish Movement, the Chautauqua Movement, the Highlander Folk School, and the Wisconsin Idea—to determine how these successful endeavours might inform curricula and programming for modern social justice education utilizing an e-learning model. Turning to program design issues, I review the literature related to the many aspects ofthe concept of social justice, and to current curricula and methodological elements deemed important to social justice education. Based upon my analysis of this literature review, I propose a set of competencies essential to teaching and learning social justice, analyze the adaptability of live classroom techniques to an e-learning format, and identify a gap in the literature related to online social justice education models.

I find valuable lessons in historical adult education social justice initiatives that are relevant to our modern efforts to teach social justice and promote activism. These include the view that lifelong educational opportunities are the right of all people, the need to respect the knowledge and experience of those whose social and economic conditions we would try to improve, and a moral obligation to use our education and talents in service to our community. I find a significant body of literature addressing various aspects of social justice education design and program planning for the traditional live classroom, but a need for more research into design and programming for the social justice education in the virtual classroom. From my literature reviews I find that learning about and teaching social justice is a complex, multilayered undertaking, involving concepts that are both procedural (How do we teach this?) and substantive (What do we teach?). Further analysis leads me to propose three competencies that are essential in this endeavour: recognizing privilege and its societal underpinnings, undertaking critical reflection on one's own position or privilege or oppression and hegemonic systems that surround us, and learning how to problem-solve. My analysis of social justice educational programming addresses the facilitation of these three competencies.

This thesis reveals the connecting threads between past adult education social justice programs, modern adult education in general, and social justice education initiatives in specific. Its focus on design and delivery methodology advances the literature by bridging the gap between past and present on this aspect of adult education for social justice practices. By proposing competencies essential to learning and teaching social justice, I create a new framework upon which to build social justice considerations not only into substantive social justice programming but also into any aspect of adult education programming. Finally, my analysis of how social justice curricula and methodology designed for the live classroom might be adapted to the online learning environment advances the study of this burgeoning aspect of adult education while also pointing to the large research gap that we must address as the field navigates its way into and through the digital age.

Citation

Bullon, K.M. Everything old is new again: Adult education and social justice in the digital age. Master's thesis, St. Francis Xavier University. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from .

This record was imported from ProQuest on October 23, 2013. [Original Record]

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