History of Adult and Community Education in the 1970’s

 History of Adult/Community Education

 

Gabrielle Lloyd

 

Ball State University

 

EDAC 631 Adult and Community Education

 

Professor Dr. Bo Chang

 

2/6/2022

 

History of Adult and Community Education in the 1970’s

 

Your Name	Commented On
Gabrielle Lloyd	Abby Minger Victoria Dixon

 

 

 

Social Background 

Gleaming from the social win of the Civil Rights Movement, the 1970s was in many ways a decade of continued change for those minoritized by American society. However, the prosperity of the movements did not come without strife. Education played an important role in many of those quests for social change. Expansion efforts of adult education have consistently been linked to social and political movements (Milana et al., 2016). Thus, many of the movements within this time frame prioritized community-based education. For example, the 70's explored Black Pride to continue the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement. For example, the Black Panthers and other action-based organizations created programs that empowered community education and adult learning through peer-to-peer interactions (Erkulwater, 2018). This organization attempted to keep the physical, mental, and the emotional health of their communities in their own hands.

 

Another social movement that took flight during the 1970s was the fight for disability awareness and protection. In the late 1970s, the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities protested Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which ensured only a few nondiscrimination rights to people who lived with disabilities (Erkulwater, 2018). Without the efforts of those willing to challenge this system, the United States would not have the laws in place to hold educators, employers, and society accountable for necessary accessibility. Protesters in the 70's used sit-ins to draw similarities from the Civil Rights Movement (Erkulwater, 2018). Those efforts were not made in vain.

 

In addition, the fight for women's rights was a prominent movement during the '70s. The monumental case, Roe v. Wade, was decided in January of 1973 (Longwe, 1998). That decision impacted all facets of adult and community-based education. Practitioners understood that dismantling oppressive systems began with education. Adult education related to women's empowerment should be focused on "gender training," which provides skills needed to navigate the patriarchy (Longwe, 1998). This laid the foundation for many community-based initiatives directly impacting women in many ways.

 

Simultaneously, this decade also paved the way for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. The Gay Liberation Movement was birthed out of the Stone Wall Riots in 1969 and continued throughout the 1970s (Meyer, 2006). Like other movements for social change, brave individuals risked their lives for future generations. Many social movements defined this in the 1970s and the course of history.

 

Lastly, as technology began to advance astronomically, the concept of sustainability became a topic of both political discussion and educational research in the 1970s (Milana et al., 2016). With any rapid change, those in power have a duty to react in the best interest of their citizens. The celebration of the inaugural Earth Day on April 22, 1970, served as a critical moment in American history (Chow, 2020). Adult educators had to address these social issues in their practice to the best of their ability. Without the fight for equity and technological advancements, education would remain at a standstill.

 

Highlights

Though the 1970s were full of transformational milestones, a few key events to consider when discussing adult education. In 1970, an updated copy of the US Handbook on Adult Education was released that considered the entirety of the practice (Grace). This manual described the totality of the profession, laying down the groundwork for upcoming research and changes to adult education. Adult education outside of formal post-secondary education at this time was often seen as a "repair" system (Grace). A cushion for those who lived at the edges of society. However, that idea did not stagnate the profession of adult education.

 

A shift in thinking began to occur, and the modern practice of adult education emerged (Grace). The social change in the '70s helped challenge the existing condition of education. Now, the practice can touch the lives of all people without the fear of judgment. Social and cultural movements challenged the status quo of American education (Grace). Adult education reacted with incredible expansion because of the labored sacrifices of those who served at the front lines of the fights for social justice.

 

Additionally, this decade changed education as a practice quite rapidly. The '70s brought in an eruption of new knowledge that further moved education in all facets (Grace). As new technology became more readily available, education moved with those changes. For society to continue to advance, educators must adjust to new ways of doing things. The seemingly overnight technological advances impacted adult education in the '70s and decades to come (Milana et al., 2016). There were new competencies that adults needed to learn to adhere to the new needs of society. As agents of change and community advocates, adult educators adjusted their practice to help better the communities they served.

 

 

Influential Factors

Outside of the social movements of this decade, there were also plenty of political factors that influenced adult education. After much bloodshed, the Vietnam War finally came to an end in the mid-1970s (“College Enrollment Linked to Vietnam War”, 1984). This is critical because more young adults of a career starting age could enroll in formal higher education or engage in non formal adult education. That said, young men enrolled in college at record rates from 1966 - 1972 but then declined drastically (“College Enrollment Linked to Vietnam War”, 1984). On the other hand, women continued to increase their college enrollment rates (“College Enrollment Linked to Vietnam War”, 1984) steadily. This societal shift challenged the limits in which women were expected to live their lives. For the first time, women could aspire to post-secondary education in uncommon ways before the Vietnam War. This historical moment permanently influenced the future of adult education and its practitioners.

 

Politically, one event changed the United States and its trust in its government. In June 1972, the Watergate scandal was brought to life (Dinas, 2013). The world stopped as citizens across the country watched as their elected leader was caught stealing confidential information. They witnessed their entrusted president resign from office. There is a level of fear and disappointment when an elected official operates against the country's best interest. It is interesting to note that at this time, young adults were shown to be more affected by this moment in history than the older generations (Dinas, 2013). The political unrest of this situation had a lasting impact on that generation and the generations to come. Nixon's scandal and inevitable resignation impacted all facets of education. When one's society feels like it is crumbling around them, it is hard to focus on any area of education. Each of these incidents uniquely influenced American life in the 1970s.

 

Implications

Above all, the 1970s showed the need for freedom within education systems. Various groups of people benefitted from different approaches to education depending on their values and needs. Of all the areas of education, adult education is the least institutionalized form of education (Milana et al., 2016). Meaning it can easily be adjusted to the goals of the individual. It can also be modified to the advancements of time. At this point, adult education had the unique opportunity to address the nation's values. Adult education began to emphasize the importance of lifelong learning (Grace). This philosophy of education continues to be the foundation of adult education.

 

Something crucial that came out of this time was that adult education must engage in social justice work. Highlander provided learning for those leading and assisting the Civil Rights Movement (Grace). Thus, this action created a precedent and a moral standard for the profession. Organizations across the country chose not to engage with the social movements of the '60s and '70s. However, Highlander proved that education should work in conjunction with social change. The work of these influential people launched the notion that adult education as a practice should be interpreted as more of a movement than a profession (Grace). Adult education should be an inclusive space that welcomes all walks of life. For example, this decade began the surge of women's college enrollment and other formal and nonformal education (Longwe, 1998). The fight for social change paired with political decisions allowed adult education to advance in this way.

 

Table 1.1 Summary of Adult/Community Education in the 1970’s

 

Area	Summary
Social Background	Black Power Movement Disability Awareness Movement  Roe v. Wade and Fight for Women’s Rights  Gay Liberation Movement
Highlights	US Handbook on Adult Education updated in 1970 Advancement in technology Adult education began to be seen as a social movement Increased collegiate enrollment in women
Influential Factors	Watergate Scandal End of Vietnam War
Implications	Adult/Community education adjusted to societal advancements The profession increased involvement in social change

 

References

Chow, D. (2020, April 22). Earth Day at 50: Why the legacy of the 1970s environmental movement is in jeopardy. NBCNews.com.https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/earth-day-50-why-legacy-1970s-environmental-movement-jeopardy-n1189506

College Enrollment Linked to Vietnam War. (1984, September 2). New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2022 from

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/02/us/college-enrollment-linked-to-vietnam-war.html

Dinas, E. (2013). Opening “Openness to Change”: Political Events and the Increased Sensitivity of Young Adults. Political Research Quarterly, 66(4), 868–882. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23612064

Erkulwater, J. L. (2018). How the Nation’s largest minority became white: Race politics and the disability rights movement, 1970–1980. Journal of Policy History, 30(3), 367-399. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0898030618000143

 Grace, André P. “The Decline of Social Education and the Rise of Instrumentalism in North American Adult Education (1947–1970).” Studies in the Education of Adults. 44.2 (2012): 225–244. Web.

Longwe, Sara Hlupekile. (1998). Education for Women’s Empowerment or Schooling for Women’s Subordination? Gender and Development, 6(2), 19–26. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4030341

Meyer, R. (2006). GAY POWER CIRCA 1970: Visual strategies for sexual revolution. Glq, 12(3), 441-464. https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-2005-011

Milana, M., Rasmussen, P., & Holford, J. (2016). The role of adult education and learning policy in fostering societal sustainability. International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft / Revue Internationale de l’Education, 62(5), 523–540. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44980046