ERIC Number: ED409442
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1997
Reference Count: N/A
Arts and Humanities in Adult and Continuing Education. Trends and Issues Alerts.
Trends and issues related to arts and humanities in adult and continuing education can be categorized in three ways: ways of knowing, informal sites of learning, and cultural pluralism. The arts and humanities are vehicles for critical reflection, and they present paths to the individual construction of knowledge that are intuitive, relational, kinesthetic, visual, and aural alternatives to analytic and scientific methods. However, their potential is moderated by the motivation of adult learners. Much adult education in the arts and humanities takes place at informal sites and is increasingly focused on nontraditional audiences. Arts and humanities help homeless and incarcerated women find their voice and acquire critical literacy; humanities can help criminals alter their mental maps of the world and transform behavior. The democratizing of culture is reflected in another trend. The increasing cultural pluralism of society is expanding the notion of what is considered "legitimate" art, who creates art, and what are "acceptable" responses to it. Adult education in the arts and humanities has the following benefits for both individuals and society: development of perceptual ability, ability to exploit a particular medium of expression, ability to engage in the creative process, awareness of the nature of artistic activity, and critique of cultural value systems. (The document contains an annotated listing of 27 resources.) (YLB)
Publication Type: ERIC Publications; Reference Materials - Bibliographies
Education Level: N/A
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, Columbus, OH.