Tracey Ollis

Informal and Social Learning

This second discussion chapter draws on adult education theory, particularly that from the social learning tradition, known as “Situated Learning” (Lave & Wenger 1991). The chapter contextualizes social learning by introducing the concept of “communities of practice” and the theory’s relationship to activists’ pedagogy (Lave & Wenger 1991). It is argued that Lave’s writing is highly relevant to embodied learning; even though this is not explicitly stated, she argues for learning that goes beyond cognition, and draws on the experience of learning with others in a social space (Lave 1991, 1996). The chapter posits the site of the neighborhood as a place of struggle and resistance, and draws on similarities in activists’ practices to argue that the local neighborhood, local campaign, or social movement becomes a site where significant knowledge and skill is produced. The development of activist “apprenticeships” is examined in relation to “newcomer / old-timer” constructs and the typology of circumstantial and lifelong activists (Lave 1991, p. 68). The concept of “rapid learning” by circumstantial activists is also explored in relation to the “hot action” of practice described by Beckett and Hager (2002). Activists’ learning is examined in light of Bourdieu’s analysis of self learning and the autodidact.

Disembodied police practice: “Keep a lid on it so you can function”

This paper explores disembodiment and policing in an Australian police jurisdiction – we call ‘Conundrum’. This narrative research on police education uncovers the tensions and disembodied practices of police and the daily dilemmas that police experience working in the new era of professional policing. Police officers’ educational experiences are at odds with contemporary notions and practices of lifelong learning, workplace learning and reflexive practice. This research draws attention to the inherent difficulty that police face today as they learn to ‘manage their emotions’ in response to different forms of risk, uncertainty and instability, underscored by the longstanding ‘habitus’ in the ‘field’ of policing. This emotional work impacts on police identity and is a cost to the ‘self’ as police increasingly disconnect from their work, their colleagues and themselves. We argue that an urgent review of police education and training in Australia is needed to move from the practice-based reproduction of cultural and applied learning traditions to a more holistic education program that focuses on metacognition, reflexive practice and critical cognition.

Learning to Become an Academic

This chapter explores the informal learning dimensions of ‘learning to become an academic’. I explore in detail the process of becoming a scholar with particular emphasis given to the supervisory relationship as a process of apprenticeship and learning community. My Ph.D. focussed on the informal and social learning practices of two groups of activists, so this paper also covers the journey of the research, the methodology and the methods chosen for the research. I outline the early corporeal learning experiences that constituted my own educational experience as a young woman growing up working class, who turned to ideas and theory for a language of resistance to educational discourses about class. This paper has a particular focus on the role of ‘identity’ formation in learning to become an academic. I outline the processes of apprenticeship through supervision and the role of a learning community in the Ph.D., as key in developing ‘mastery’ or a ‘feel for the game’ of academia.

A Critical Pedagogy of Activism

Why is there a need for a book on the pedagogy of activism at this time and epoch in history and, in particular, a book that examines the learning dimensions of social justice activists as they go about their important work? I write this book in the present international environment of nation-states’ responding to a global financial crisis; there are riots in the United Kingdom and a global financial crisis affecting the economies of most of the countries of the world. The world appears to be in a time of great transition and upheaval. It is a time of immense social, economic, political, and environmental turmoil across the planet. In addition, in what some have called the “Arab Spring,” revolutions have taken place in Egypt and Tunisia, largely spearheaded through prodemocracy protestors, pushing for an end to the power of oppressive regimes. Similarly, in Libya, a civil war is raging and it has seen the inevitable fall of the Gaddafi regime. At the same time, students protest in Chile for a more equal education system, and again in the United Kingdom against increased tuition fees. Moreover, the protest of the “occupy movements” are echoing around the world, as protestors challenge the dominance of neoliberal economic policy and the present global financial crisis. In this time of massive global change there are movements, all over the world, of people who are stateless and homeless due to flood, drought, fire, and war.

A Critical Pedagogy of Embodied Education

This research has presented the rich and complex modes of learning that occur through the processes of social action. Current research and practice in adult education in Australia has largely underemphasized social action and radical adult education as fields of inquiry, ensuring this epistemology of learning remains in its infancy (Branagan & Boughton 2003). This research has demonstrated that the learning of activists is holistic and situated in practice. It provides insight into how all adults learn not only in activism, but also through the daily business of developing knowledge and skill by being in the world. This chapter summarizes the key findings of the research, referring back to the central research question: “What are the stages and processes of learning and identity formation for activists engaged in social action?”

The Politics of Adult Education

This chapter reviews a broad range of literature relevant to this study and explores three knowledge domains of education. The chapter commences by outlining scholarly approaches to popular education, radical adult education and transformative learning, and explores the foundations of these epistemologies and their contribution to the literature on education, activism, and social change. The chapter goes on to examine the knowledge domain of social learning, which includes literature on “informal learning,” “workplace learning,” and “communities of practice.” The next domain of knowledge is embodiment and learning, which explores mind, body, and emotions in the development of knowledge and considers the role that identity plays in “learning to become an activist.” The review concludes with a summary of the major propositions outlined in the literature.

The Circumstantial Activists

This chapter provides a thematic analysis of interviews with the eight circumstantial activists in this study. The research shows that while there are some similarities between the learning of these activists and the learning of lifelong activists, there are also significant differences in their learning practices.

Case Study Research

This chapter outlines the methodological design of the research, the research questions, the aims of the research, and the methods chosen. Using a postpositivist framework of inquiry, this qualitative study uses the theory of phenomenology to inform the research process (Denzin & Lincoln 2000). The research crosses the boundaries of two disciplines, one represented by the theoretical tradition of social sciences and the other by the education tradition of adult learning. The research is inductive and framed by the activists’ stories. By using a multiple case study approach to the research (Stake 1995, 2003, 2006), the stories of activists are held up to view and their learning is identified, while still enabling the readers to construct their own interpretation of the narratives embedded in the case studies. My own experiences as an activist are positioned within the methodology so that they serve as a guide for the research and, in doing so, enable this study to explore the complexity of conducting research where the researcher is positioned as both outsider and insider. Finally, an outline of the research methods is given and the scope and limitations of the research are discussed.

The Lifelong Activists

This chapter gives an overview and analysis of the learning practices of nine of the lifelong activists interviewed for this study. It provides a context for the detailed case studies that will be examined later in chapter 5. The thematic analysis offers insight into the complexity of the pedagogy of activists, and addresses the central research question: “What are the stages and processes of learning and identity formation for activists engaged in social action?” This question and associated subquestions are used as a guide to understand the various areas of activists’ learning, including: the stages and phases in the learning process; activist identity formation or learning to “become” an activist; and the role of formal and informal learning in the learning of activists. First, a biographical account for each of the lifelong activists is given. Following this is an analysis of the data for the lifelong activists, using their narratives from their interviews. The data reveals the holistic nature of activists’ pedagogy as they engage in social change within and against the state. It shows that their early politicization occurs through involvement in student politics or exposure to political opinion in their families and has led to their continued involvement in social movements over the longer term.