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Popular education is a form of adult education that encourages learners to examine their lives critically and take action to change social conditions. Popular education's goal is to develop people's capacity for social change. Although it may assume diverse forms, popular education usually involves a cycle described as action/reflection/action or practice/theory/practice. Adult educators can facilitate the process by serving as democratic collaborators who ensure that learning, leadership, and self-direction occur in the group. Popular education often draws on popular culture (such as song, theater, dance, puppetry) to enhance communication among audiences, demonstrate respect for community values, enhance group spirit, and demystify the information conveyed. Because popular education is often seen as threatening to dominant institutions, popular educators face numerous challenges, including the following: demands or constraints of funding sources; perceptions of the role of facilitators; disconnection between program goals and participant objectives; and the perception that it is too radical or revolutionary. The literature includes several examples of how adult educators have overcome these challenges and helped facilitate social transformation. The examples demonstrate that, although individual popular education programs may appear to have failed in their immediate goals, they may represent steps in the slow, complex and cumulative process of social change. (Contains 12 references.) (MN)

This handbook presents ideas to prepare for, plan, design, and run a workshop on gender and women's oppression. It is intended for community, adult, and popular educators, trainers, organizers, facilitators, or teachers working for a liberated South Africa. Section 1 (chapters 1-3) helps the reader to think about women's oppression and gender, understand the need to challenge women's oppression, and see the possibilities for challenging it through popular education. Chapter 1 introduces key concepts and gives practical exercises to help broaden one's understanding of gender. Chapter 2 gives examples of where and how women's oppression happens around the world. Chapter 3 introduces popular education and its main principles. Section 2 (chapters 4-5) explains procedures for organizing and running a workshop to challenge women's oppression through popular education methods. Chapter 4 offers practical ideas and worksheets to plan for and design a workshop. Chapter 5 suggests ideas and guidelines to facilitate the workshop. Section 3 (chapters 6-9) explains what the activities are for and how to use them. Chapter 6 provides background information on group building and exercies to use in a workshop. Chapter 7-9 gives instructions for activities to use in a workshop. These exercises help the group examine gender and its relationships with other oppressive social systems and find strategies to strengthen women's position in their organizations. Appendixes include a glossary of terms, a handy reference to workshop techniques, and a list of 32 resources. (YLB)

Several of the articles in this document arose out of the International Council for Adult Education's World Assembly held in Bangkok, Thailand, in January 1990. The first article is on the 1989 evaluation of the Hilltribe Development Project, a long-term project undertaken in the north of Thailand. The article briefly describes various aspects of the project, their objectives, the level of participation, and outcomes. The next article (by Elizabeth Cox) is on making and using training materials for nutrition education in a community development project in Papua New Guinea that has used printed materials, slogans, songs, acting, role playing, and screen-printed T-shirts. The next article (by Marjorie Crombie) describes one visitor's 2-day visit to the Nang Naew cattle raising project in Thailand. Fund raising in China's adult schools, which are no longer funded by the state, is the subject of the next article (by Wang Hong Ye). The article on defining popular education for the next decade in Thailand (by Gotham Arya) offers practical advice and recommends a holistic view. The next article (by Francis Hezel) is on what can be done to prevent suicide in Micronesia. The last article (by M. Mahbubur Rahman) is about the Community Information and Planning System, a training and action research experience in the Asia Pacific region. (CML)

This document consists of the six issues of the serial "Voices Rising" issued during the four-year period 1987-1990. "Voices Rising" is the primary networking tool of the Women's Program of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE). Articles in these issues include: "Tribute to a Courageous Woman--Nabila Breir"; "Centre for Women's Resources: Building the Filipino Women's Movement"; "Micro-Chip Technology: Its Impact on Women Workers"; "ICEA: Popular Education in Quebec"; "The Feminist Challenge to Adult Education: Highlights of a Seminar"; "Feminism and Popular Education"; "Jamaica: Building Democratic Organizations"; "Lebanon: Supporting Women's Daily Struggles"; "Reaching Women: An Informal Workshop on 'Media'"; "Strengthening Grassroots Solidarity: An Informal Workshop"; "Update on the Women's Program"; "Issues in Literacy in the Urban U.S."; "Building a Women's Centre: Gregoria Apaza Centre for the Promotion of Women"; "Consolidating Voices of Mindanao Women"; "Building Leadership, Building the Movement"; "Our Identity: Feminism and Popular Education"; "Leadership and Women in International Adult Education"; "Strategic Contradictions: Organizational Democracy and Dependence on International Aid"; "Growing Pains: Reflections on the History of Flora Tristan, Peru"; "Summing Up: Common Threads"; "Moving On: ICAE Harare Meetings"; "Zimbabwe: Producing a Popular Text"; "Mali: The Fight Is Ours"; "South Africa: Making Our Voices Heard"; "Refugee Women in Canada"; "Leadership Training and Consciousness Raising among Chicana Workers in the U.S.";"Literacy--A Tool for Empowerment of Women?"; "Khulumani Makhosikazi: Women and Literacy"; "Tomorrow Will Be Different: A Literacy Course for Women"; "Keeping the Circle Strong: Native Women's Resource Centre, Toronto, Canada"; "On the Training of Tutors for Women's Literacy"; "Expanding the 'Generative Word' Process: Women's Iron Will, Haiti"; "Publishing Women's Stories"; "Developing Reading and Writing Skills"; "A Literacy Kit for Peasant Women in Mexico"; "1990 International Literacy Year: Agenda, Comments, Challenges"; "Five Challenges to Women's Literacy"; "Deepening the Issues and Objectives of ILY"; "Sobering Thoughts: Literacy for What?"; "Activating the Network"; "Gender and Popular Education"; "Developing a Balance between Introspection and Action"; "Women, Literacy, and Education in Africa"; "A Critical Moment for Women Educators"; "Fighting Repression, Building Democracy"; "After the Decade: Trends in Funding to Women's Organizations"; "Playing the Funding Game"; "Exploring the Alternatives to State Funding in Canada"; "Questioning Official Development Assistance in the Philippines"; "Literacy: The Critique from Below"; "Battered Women: Breaking the Cycle"; "Self-Help Groups: Working towards an End to Domestic Violence"; "Knowing Our Rights, Defending Our Integrity"; "Norma Virginia Guirola de Herrera: Her Example Lives On"; "The Asian Women's Human Rights Commission"; "The International Sex Trade"; and "Oka Is All of Us." (YLB)

This bulletin is concerned with the efficiency and effectiveness of educational systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. "Adult Education between Two Models" (H. R. Lovisolo) investigates the concept of popular emancipatory education in Brazil and the transformation of MOBRAL (Brazilian Movement of Literacy) into the Fundacion EDUCAR. Conceptual and operational levels of popular education are discussed. A bibliography is included, "Seven Strategies for Improving the Quality and Efficiency of the Educational System" (E. Schiefelbein) lists the early primary grades (e.g., cultural clash between school and home environments, especially in regard to language). Drastic changes in educational and financial policies are called for. Sixteen tables of data point to the reduced quality of education in Latin America. "Teaching Adults for Oral Proficiency" (J. Morris) explains how a new foreign language program was developed in Trinidad and Tobago. An eight-step program was followed to establish an appropriate syllabus. An oral proficiency examination is the main instrument of evaluation. The bulletin concludes with listings of OREALC (Regional Office for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean) activities and publications. (PPB)

The article focuses on knowledge and how it helps one think critically and creatively. It is noted that the substantive knowledge is the facts, concepts and rules that make the building blocks of the various subjects and disciplinary knowledge is about the decisions behind what knowledge makes it into the accepted realm of each subject. The author discusses the importance of asking "why" and the need to incorporate disciplinary knowledge into primary teaching.

Analyzes the relationship between high culture and popular culture in mass society. Gradual decrease in significance of high culture due to widespread popular education and popular communication system; Association of high culture with ruling classes; Absence of specific social structure in high culture; Critical respect for high culture rather that a justifying form of expression and action; Types of popular culture.

Focuses on writer Henry James and his literary works. Contempt expressed against Henry's writings by those persons who exert the major influence on popular education and intelligence; Excerpt from the textbook "The College Book of American Literature," which reflects how James' writings have been misunderstood; Comment of noted writers on James' novels; Analysis of his works by writer Van Wyck Brooks; Discussion of his writing style and language; Comparison of his writings with those of European novelists.

The article focuses on political and social issues of the world. It states that the working of the new School Law in England continues to furnish curious and instructive illustrations of difficulties of having children taught in a country in which there is not only a defective appreciation of the importance of popular education, but a decided preference on the part of a considerable portion of the religious world for ignorance over knowledge, unless the knowledge is accompanied with certain religious beliefs. The law leaves it optional with inhabitants of each district whether they will avail themselves of its provisions and set the educational machinery in motion or not. The article also presents the information that railroad securities now constitute probably the most popular form of investment of a personal nature open to the people of the U.S.

An introduction is presented which discusses articles within the issue on topics including obituary for teacher Michael Armstrong, teacher education, and popular education.

Not many years ago, a certain traditional prestige, independent of all considerations of practical utility, attached to the scholastic character, at least in New England, where the clergy long held a monopoly of what passed for learning. New England colleges were once little more than schools for making ministers. The tendency of a partial education, such as the best popular education must of necessity be, is to produce an excess of self-confidence; and one of its results in this country is a prodigious number of persons who think, and persuade others to think, that they know everything necessary to be known, and are fully competent to form opinions and make speeches upon all questions whatever.

Reports on the rise in rackets per square foot of property and per capita of suffering citizenry in small towns of the U.S. Increase in protective coloration of the small-town big-time racketeer by the publicity machinery; Need for public education through radio drama which are too narrow to allow a wide range of subject; Instance of small town racketing which depicts the foundation of a Credit and Collection Bureau by an enterprising young men Bill Gallagher to collect money for the poor people; Emergence of Gallagher as credit-collections boss of a manufacturing center River port.

An interview with feminist popular educator and activist Celita Eccher is presented. When asked about her childhood, she replied that she had good childhood memories including her grandmother Celita Martins who is multilingual. Eccher discusses how she became involved with adult education and how her participation in gender issues has affected her career and personal life. She also explores her Lifelong Learning philosophy.

The communities of Vrygrond in the greater Cape Town municipal area are engulfed in unemployment, poverty, conflict and violence. The Popular Education Programme has run a variety of courses over the last three years aimed at building community leadership for affecting unity and collective action for transformation. While there is some evidence of personal development, larger structural changes are necessary if hunger and violence are to be eradicated, thus resulting in a thriving community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We need to return to the community sensibilities of popular education. There are now a number of discourses and practices referring to the community and the communitarians. These are not only related to poor populations in small areas, but to different ways of being and living together. They talk about establishing stronger ties and different senses of belonging that not only refer to the similarities, but to the differences. Popular education can enrich these practices by incorporating and promoting the new sensibilities through its emancipatory perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Policy Advocacy Group (GIPEIGEP), part of the Council of Popular Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (CEAAL) has made a study of the major developments reported by the governments of the region on Youth and Adult Education. The study reveals a number of findings that show the lack of action on the part of most governments in fulfilling their commitments. It also reports on the existence of laws on the subject as well as on the lack of plans and policies to adopt new commitments. A further finding has to do with the limited opportunities for learning in indigenous languages, and a marked absence of work materials in these languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of popular education in creating public spaces for debate and dissent to address the growing crisis in democracy across Europe. It tackles the interrelated dimensions of the crisis of democracy across Europe and describes the Scandinavian approach to popular education. It also describes how the study circles and folk high schools in Sweden contribute towards the development of an informed public sphere in the Swedish civil society.

The article features the California-based organization, POOR Magazine. The organization, co-founded by Lisa Gray-Garcia, is described as an arts and media group which promotes revolutionary approaches to media making, media-justice organizing, popular education and social justice. Gray-Garcia claims that corporations and independent media producers often create useless cover stories based on the lives of the poor and offer images of their sufferings for voyeuristic public consumption.

An interview with popular educator Anne Docherty is presented. When asked about her learning of popular education, she refers to the meetings she attended with her parents due to their involvement in activism. She comments on the approach of popular education, its need in the world and her involvement in it in British Columbia.

The article focuses on Tent City University, an experiment in popular education by Occupy London in which lectures were given in tents outside Saint Paul's Cathedral in England. Workshops, discussions and lectures were given by leading writers, activists and academics. The purpose of Tent City University is to create a space in which ideas could be exchanged and challenged. University of Lincoln's Social Science Centre is noted as a model of a collaborative form of higher education.

The article focuses on the educational program called Brazil's Landless Movement (MST) which shows that social and economic hardships can also be the source of creativity. The principles of popular education are the main pillars of MST's educational programs. The learning experiences that occur in the camps are based on the lives of landless peasants who are struggling to be free from social, political and economical marginalization.

Presents a literature review of the application of critical pedagogy to music teaching and learning. Origin and history of critical pedagogy; Role of constructivism and experiential learning in music education; Information on the criticisms to critical pedagogy.

Suggests that literacy is something that thrives on debate and over which there will never be complete agreement. Definition of the spectrum of opinions concerning literacy; Absolutists' argument that there is no great public controversy of seeing literacy as the ability to read and write; Relativists' argument that literacy practices are various, context-specific, historically dependent and always related to issues of power in society; Position of the English Association in relation to the Absolutism-Relativism debate about literacy.

The National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center was established in 1998 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Center includes a consortium of researchers and practitioners concerned with violence against women from various institutes. Practitioner and researcher focus group participants identified areas of common ground as well as unique concerns and sources of tension experienced in their attempts to collaborate on violence against women prevention efforts. Advocates and practitioners have many roles in addition to their primary one as direct service providers. They are responsible for organizational management, victim outreach, community education, fundraising, coalition building, and professional and allied professional training and education. Many practitioners viewed research as a critical tool in helping them to make the best use of their limited time, and to improve their personal and professional abilities to provide quality services to victims. Another capacity-strengthening outcome that was identified is enhancing community education and public awareness, particularly in the area of media relations.

Presents letters to the editor referencing articles and topics discussed in previous issues of the journal. Comment on Community Education Partners LLC , (CEP), which is a company that contracts with the Houston Independent School District to educate students; Report that the students returning from the CEP program are better prepared to learn and follow the rules; Comment on the article "All in the Family," by Andrew Sullivan, published in the February 12, 2001 issue of the journal.

Looks at a common ground between Great Britain and Spain in terms of popular education. General characteristics of the popular education process; Purposes of the Popular Education Forum in Scotland; Challenges facing popular education.

The article throws light on the Metropolitan Museum and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. At Boston, by thinning out the public exhibits, giving the fine objects space, light, and, emphasis, the work of popular education is done in the very arrangement. Special guidance is still offered, as it was in the old building, but it is less needed. So the Museum, having in its new home established an ideal series of study collections, now takes the next step and offers courses of collegiate rank. Meanwhile the Metropolitan Museum has been gradually perfecting a humbler but very necessary work, that of conducting the, average visitor through the labyrinth of the galleries.

The article focuses on the issue of popular education in Switzerland. The small Republic of the Alps has published in C. Grot's seven volumes of statistics a record of the educational progress made since "Statistics of Public Instruction in Switzerland in 1871" took the first place among such works at the Vienna Exposition of 1873. From these two works it is known that the federal Constitution of 1874 made the public schools free and compulsory. The States-rights element voted against a measure tending toward centralization, and compulsory education had remained a dead letter.

This article focuses on the book "American Contributions to Civilization, and Other Essays and Addresses," by Charles William Eliot. Eliot's book consists of miscellaneous addresses and magazine articles written during the past twenty-five years. The reason of their being mainly social and political is explained in the preface. It is merely because the educational addresses and papers are reserved for another volume. There are, however, in this volume a good many passages relating to education and one entire essay discusses the question "wherein popular education has failed."

The article discusses the state of adult education in the Philippines before, during and after the Education for All movement. According to the author, his work as an educator is mainly in the field of adult and popular education, particularly the training and development of a new generation of grassroots community leaders, which is the core program of the Education for Life Foundation he founded in 1992. Global migration presents a challenge to adult and popular education in the country.

Focuses on issues concerning the social movements for radical reform in the education system. Impact of the massive expansion of higher education in the 1990s on children from low-income families; Role of social class as determinant of success in education and employment; Goal of adult education as a body of social movements; Status of the campaign for working class access during the 1980s and the 1990s; Achievements of the working class movements during the nineteenth century; Forms of popular education.

Focuses on the importance of feminist popular education to women. Aspects of the feminist popular education; Challenges faced by feminist popular educators; Impact of globalization on the lives of women.

The article focuses on possible stance of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on early-childhood initiatives. Topics covered include the expectation for Trump to give attention to popular education programs, the criticism of Trump's initial child-care affordability proposal and the achievements of the Department of Education's Office of Early Learning. Also mentioned is the funding for the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.