Adult Basic Education and Social Justice

Veranstaltung mit einem Vortrag von Professor Emerita Lyn Tett von den Universitäten Huddersfield und Edinburgh, GB.

Abstract zum Vortrag von Prof. em. Tett: 

This presentation discusses what is meant by equality and argue that the dominant ‘equality of opportunity’ conceptualisation of equity that assumes that we live in a fair society is seriously flawed. Instead I will use the social justice lens offered by Nancy Fraser (2008) and her concepts of redistribution (when people are not exploited or denied an adequate standard of living), recognition (when people are treated with respect for their cultural practices and not stereotyped) and participatory parity (when political procedures, institutions and practices make participation easy), to think through both the enduring inequalities experienced by learners and also the possibilities opened up to them. Using examples from ABE programmes in Scotland I will show the importance of using pedagogical approaches that build on the knowledge that participants bring as well as using a distance-travelled method of assessing progress based on the learners’ own goals.This social justice approach to adult education can lead to positive changes in the recognitive sphere whereas learners had previously experienced institutionalised patterns of disrespect and lack of esteem in both the education system and in their everyday interactions. I will also highlight how issues of distribution and recognition interpenetrate causally because increases in learners’ self confidence, brought about by being treated with respect, have enabled them to go on to further education or to gain employment thus enabling some action in challenging economic discrimination. Creating a democratic curriculum so that learners are seen as having the right to make decisions about their lives can lead to action at the family, community and political levels so changes have also been made in moving towards more equity in the sphere of participatory parity. All this adds up to an education that shifts the focus onto the systemic and contextual factors that operate to limit democratic participation whilst simultaneously ensuring that individuals’ personal and social circumstances do not interfere with their potential.