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Gramsci, Freire and Adult Education : Possibilities for Transformative Action
This book focuses on two of the most cited figures in the debate on radical education, Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) and Paulo Freire (1921-1997). Both regarded forms of adult education as having an important role to play in the struggle for liberation from oppression. Peter Mayo examines the extent to which their combined insights can provide the foundation for a theory of transformative adult education. He considers their respective contributions to the development of such a theory, analyzes their ideas comparatively and identifies some of the limitations in their work for incorporation into a theory. The book concludes with a major synthesis of their ideas in the context of other adult educators' more recent contributions in order to develop a theory of transformative adult education.
About the Author, Peter Mayo
Peter Mayo is Lecturer in the Department of Foundations in Education, University of Malta.
Mayo (education, U. of Malta) uses the theories of Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire<-->two of the most cited figures in the debate on radical education who argued that adult education can have an important role in the struggle for liberation from oppression<-->to provide a foundation for his own theory of transformative adult education. Mayo focuses on three aspects of the pedagogical process: social relations, sites of practice, and the content of adult education. The book concludes by examining the limitations of Gramsci and Freire's work, such as the absence of any evaluations of race or gender, and tries to synthesize their ideas with other contemporary theorists to develop a modern theory of adult education which might be feasible in the era of globalization and neoliberalism. Distributed by St. Martin's Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
