Future Directions for Collaborative Strategies

Abstract

Like all politics, adult and continuing education is local. Future directions for the field and its national associations should benefit local programs and the adult learners they serve. This column explores features of collaboration that could strengthen educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged adults. Collaboration is a major future theme for national associations and local providers of adult and continuing education. A long standing example is social justice and progress for less advantaged adults regarding their literacy, employment, and especially citizenship. The following rationale is focused on local collaborative programs. However, national and international political, cultural, and economic factors greatly influence local conditions and should be the target of additional adult and continuing education efforts. Several recent publications help illuminate local strategies that can enrich our efforts and partnerships. In his 2000 book Riches for the Poor, Earl Shorris analyzes his innovative course for economically less advantaged adults focused on their roles as citizens. He emphasizes Socratic dialogue and humanities content designed to help participants escape from multigenerational poverty. Much of his rationale in the first half of the book is relevant to many people in adult and continuing education concerned with education, social change, and progress for economically less advantaged adults. He urges them to creatively use praxis of knowledge and action instead of reaction and resistance. The intended result is an active search for wisdom to place first things first. Shorris ascribes the power of more affluent people to a combination of money, ideas, and concerted effort as citizens. By contrast, less affluent people tend to be surrounded by many constraining economic, social, and political influences that contribute to isolation, relative deprivation, violence, depression, and self-destruction. He views education and public participation as an expanding route to power and progress. Similar ideas are central to Richard Wood's 2002 book, Faith in Action, which analyzes faith communities' adult education and community organizing on behalf of economically less advantaged adults. This shared theme of local collaboration regarding adult education for increased social justice makes his book very relevant to the Futures effort. The following highlights suggest a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship between such programs and the broad range of adult and continuing education on public issues with the emphasis on diversity and collaboration. As noted earlier, other types of educational opportunities for adults address the national and international structural issues that greatly influence local conditions. There are many parallels between Wood's analysis of coalitions of faith communities and community organizing and coalitions of adult education providers focused on community problem solving. We could learn much from each other. In each instance of local collaboration, adults with little political experience learn how to engage in collective action, participate in civic society;, and gain greater access to social capital by creating and sustaining networks of solidarity beyond their extended family. …