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Educating for Action
A Curriculum for Social Activists
Series: - International Issues in Adult Education, Volume: 34
Author:
We live at a time when the competitive, capitalist model of action has eclipsed all other contemporary social and economic models and threatens the greater cooperative good of society. Neoliberalism is an attempt to reimagine governance in an age of mass democratic policies by its intention to inoculate capitalism against the threat of democracy.
Education for Action: A Curriculum for Social Activists sees social action as a vital vehicle in challenging this intense individualistic, managerial and competitive ethos. Such action is a collective, transformative response to capitalism which combines local activism, community development and the advocacy of social, political and economic rights to help committed citizens initiate, stimulate and support social change at both local and global levels.
The book explains the methods, instruments, theories and practices that help educators encourage activists to build power amongst concerned individuals using a curriculum that emphasises the importance of critical theory and which is accessible to everybody and rooted in their community. The author also stresses the vital role of education in helping activists resist the ideologies, actions and slogans imposed on society by authoritarian powerholders while simultaneously regenerating grass-roots politics and its belief in the viability of collective solidarity and social activism.
Education for Action: A Curriculum for Social Activists sees social action as a vital vehicle in challenging this intense individualistic, managerial and competitive ethos. Such action is a collective, transformative response to capitalism which combines local activism, community development and the advocacy of social, political and economic rights to help committed citizens initiate, stimulate and support social change at both local and global levels.
The book explains the methods, instruments, theories and practices that help educators encourage activists to build power amongst concerned individuals using a curriculum that emphasises the importance of critical theory and which is accessible to everybody and rooted in their community. The author also stresses the vital role of education in helping activists resist the ideologies, actions and slogans imposed on society by authoritarian powerholders while simultaneously regenerating grass-roots politics and its belief in the viability of collective solidarity and social activism.
Roger Hopkins has a degree and teaching diploma from the University of Wales and has taught in colleges of further education, technical and higher education. He has published widely on social action, community development and adult education.
Introduction
â1 What Are You? The Case of Cabo Verdeans
1 Social Action and Its Threatened Future
â1 Social Action Characteristics
â2 Affective Intelligence, Social Action and Social Movements
â3 Social Action under Attack
â4 Neo Liberal Attitudes
â5 A Collective Response
2 Common Sense: The Driver of Social Action?
â1 Characteristics of Common Sense
â2 Common Sense and Culture
â3 Common Sense Durability: Its Drawbacks and a Short History
â4 Some Common-Sense Thinking Examples
â5 Theory and Hostility
â6 Organic Intellectuals and Common Sense
â7 Neoliberal Language
â8 Gramsciâs Relevance
3 Studying and Thinking: A Critical Curriculum
â1 John Deweyâs Ideas
â2 The Seeking Curriculum â A Counterweight
â3 Reflective Thinking and Group Exercises
â4 Countering Compartmentalism
â5 Systems Thinking â A Group Process
â6 The Cynefin Framework
â7 An Overview
4 Critical Thinking and Other Thought Processes
â1 Why Critical Thinking?
â2 Critical Thinking and Rationality
â3 Biases, Fake News and Power
â4 Thought Processes of a Tutor
â5 Five Exercises to Improve Critical Thinking
â6 An Overview of the Process
â7 Group Thinking Processes
5 Types of Talk: Conversation and Dialogue
â1 Positive Conversation
â2 Good Conversation
â3 A Frenchman and Conversation
â4 Generating Effective Communication â Dialogue vs. Discussion
â5 Getting Started
â6 Deeper Listening and Thinking
â7 Speech Processes and Metaphors
â8 Task vs. Dialogue Process
â9 Summing Up
â10 A Personal Example
â11 Dialogue, Technology and Democracy
6 Questioning, Acting and Framing
â1 The Paul-Elder Model: Some Questions
â2 More Questions, Questions â¦
â3 Generative Themes
â4 Goffmanâs Frames
â5 Replacing Frames â With Other Frames
â6 Four Activities
7 Informal Settings and Authentic Language
â1 Informal Settings
â2 Authentic and Inauthentic Language
â3 Three Validity Claims
â4 Bullshit
â5 Challenging Bullshit
â6 Summing Up
8 Formal and Informal Language
â1 Language and Codes
â2 Formal and Casual Language
â3 Playing Bingo
â4 Using Clichés
â5 Clichés, Banality and Evil
â6 Tags and Lies
8 Formal and Informal Language
â1 Language and Codes
â2 Formal and Casual Language
â3 Playing Bingo
â4 Using Clichés
â5 Clichés, Banality and Evil
â6 Tags and Lies
9 Paying Attention
â1 Pancakes and Attention
â2 Some Relevant Questions â Or Not?
â3 Attention Control â An Employeeâs Warning
â4 Sharing, Space and Time
â5 Redirecting Attention
â6 Concentrating
â7 Listening to Learn
â8 A Circle Exercise â Individual and Group Attention
â9 Multitasking
10 Storytelling
â1 Telling Stories
â2 Giving Feedback
â3 Levinasâs Ideas
â4 âEngagedâ Stories
â5 Keeping Hope Alive
â6 Political Stories
â7 The Uses of History
â8 Some Welsh Examples
11 Leadership and Group Development
â1 Why Leaders?
â2 Leadership Styles and Situations
â3 A Group Leadership Grid
â4 Small Groups
â5 Facilitating Meetings â Some Principles
â6 More Suggestions for Groups
â7 The Circle of Voices Exercise
â8 Team Talking
â9 Two More Exercises
â10 Summing Up
12 Social Action Practices
â1 Action Practices and Strategies
â2 Overview
13 Challenging Power
â1 Types of Power
â2 Castellsâs Grounded Theory of Power
â3 A Pioneering Exemplar
â4 Power and Politics
â5 A Dynamic, Positive Force?
â6 Are the Net and Old Protest Habits Enough?
â7 Students Are Activists, Too
Postscript: Covid-19 and Beyond
References
Index
â1 What Are You? The Case of Cabo Verdeans
1 Social Action and Its Threatened Future
â1 Social Action Characteristics
â2 Affective Intelligence, Social Action and Social Movements
â3 Social Action under Attack
â4 Neo Liberal Attitudes
â5 A Collective Response
2 Common Sense: The Driver of Social Action?
â1 Characteristics of Common Sense
â2 Common Sense and Culture
â3 Common Sense Durability: Its Drawbacks and a Short History
â4 Some Common-Sense Thinking Examples
â5 Theory and Hostility
â6 Organic Intellectuals and Common Sense
â7 Neoliberal Language
â8 Gramsciâs Relevance
3 Studying and Thinking: A Critical Curriculum
â1 John Deweyâs Ideas
â2 The Seeking Curriculum â A Counterweight
â3 Reflective Thinking and Group Exercises
â4 Countering Compartmentalism
â5 Systems Thinking â A Group Process
â6 The Cynefin Framework
â7 An Overview
4 Critical Thinking and Other Thought Processes
â1 Why Critical Thinking?
â2 Critical Thinking and Rationality
â3 Biases, Fake News and Power
â4 Thought Processes of a Tutor
â5 Five Exercises to Improve Critical Thinking
â6 An Overview of the Process
â7 Group Thinking Processes
5 Types of Talk: Conversation and Dialogue
â1 Positive Conversation
â2 Good Conversation
â3 A Frenchman and Conversation
â4 Generating Effective Communication â Dialogue vs. Discussion
â5 Getting Started
â6 Deeper Listening and Thinking
â7 Speech Processes and Metaphors
â8 Task vs. Dialogue Process
â9 Summing Up
â10 A Personal Example
â11 Dialogue, Technology and Democracy
6 Questioning, Acting and Framing
â1 The Paul-Elder Model: Some Questions
â2 More Questions, Questions â¦
â3 Generative Themes
â4 Goffmanâs Frames
â5 Replacing Frames â With Other Frames
â6 Four Activities
7 Informal Settings and Authentic Language
â1 Informal Settings
â2 Authentic and Inauthentic Language
â3 Three Validity Claims
â4 Bullshit
â5 Challenging Bullshit
â6 Summing Up
8 Formal and Informal Language
â1 Language and Codes
â2 Formal and Casual Language
â3 Playing Bingo
â4 Using Clichés
â5 Clichés, Banality and Evil
â6 Tags and Lies
8 Formal and Informal Language
â1 Language and Codes
â2 Formal and Casual Language
â3 Playing Bingo
â4 Using Clichés
â5 Clichés, Banality and Evil
â6 Tags and Lies
9 Paying Attention
â1 Pancakes and Attention
â2 Some Relevant Questions â Or Not?
â3 Attention Control â An Employeeâs Warning
â4 Sharing, Space and Time
â5 Redirecting Attention
â6 Concentrating
â7 Listening to Learn
â8 A Circle Exercise â Individual and Group Attention
â9 Multitasking
10 Storytelling
â1 Telling Stories
â2 Giving Feedback
â3 Levinasâs Ideas
â4 âEngagedâ Stories
â5 Keeping Hope Alive
â6 Political Stories
â7 The Uses of History
â8 Some Welsh Examples
11 Leadership and Group Development
â1 Why Leaders?
â2 Leadership Styles and Situations
â3 A Group Leadership Grid
â4 Small Groups
â5 Facilitating Meetings â Some Principles
â6 More Suggestions for Groups
â7 The Circle of Voices Exercise
â8 Team Talking
â9 Two More Exercises
â10 Summing Up
12 Social Action Practices
â1 Action Practices and Strategies
â2 Overview
13 Challenging Power
â1 Types of Power
â2 Castellsâs Grounded Theory of Power
â3 A Pioneering Exemplar
â4 Power and Politics
â5 A Dynamic, Positive Force?
â6 Are the Net and Old Protest Habits Enough?
â7 Students Are Activists, Too
Postscript: Covid-19 and Beyond
References
Index
Activists, adult educators, community and voluntary group members, undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers in social action, community regeneration, citizenship, social policy, organisational learning, human resource development, politics and participative democracy.