Adult Education as a Democratic Force

Marie Husby-Slater

Fordham University

When our fore fathers set forth upon this great nation, they may not have created a true society of “equal men” as they claimed. However, the principles of a democratic society did create the opportunity to achieve such a nation. Adult education has played an important role in developing the opportunities for equality promised by the constitution and necessary to support a democracy.

The founding fathers had reason to fear putting too much power in the hands of an uneducated public. Power is a dangerous weapon, made even more dangerous in the hands of someone who does not understand the power they yield and the consequences of using their weapon. The education of adults throughout American history has been a major force to build and strengthen a populous capable of supporting a democracy and necessary to make it possible. The first U.S. politicians could have done more to break down the barriers in place at the time of the revolution and uphold the ideals described in the constitution in order to education the general population. It would take another war, economic and social revolution, more than 150 years and thousands of lives lost to make tangible progress past that oversight. The education of adults through social movements and efforts of thousands of Americans towards self-improvement played a considerable role in those changes.

Education historians argued that the early democratic society offered equal opportunities of education, economy and political activity to all who desired, to the extent they desired. (Stubblefield & Kett, a) A more critical examination of the education system would uncover a more complex story. However, this philosophy shows the potential for education within the new democratic society. As social causes gained steps of success, official institutions followed with their own steps towards equal education and democratic opportunity. Literacy for woman came hand in hand with suffrage, which was followed by educational access at the lower grades and finally, “Vassar College established the collegiate rights of American women, at the time the largest and most underprivileged of American minority groups.” (Rudolph, 1990b, 244) The American college was expected to reflect the values of the democratic society (Rudolph, 1990a) and so contributed to its success.

During the time following the revolution there was little immediate change evident. Land-holding men held the power of the new government. Those who were left out of the system did not allow themselves to be excluded from the opportunities of education. Informal associations used education as a vehicle to bring social change to underrepresented and oppressed groups (Stubblefield & Kett, a) or as a service component of social change (Stubblefield & Kett, b). During the industrial revolution individuals gathered in informal clubs and organizations in colleges (Rudolph, 1990b) and communities (Addams, 1990). The settlement experiment, which included the activities of Hull House in Chicago’s near southside, may be one of the strongest examples of the power of informal clubs, reading circles, social gatherings, and providing services to your neighbors. (Addams, 1990) Neighbors and friends of Hull House built a community by engaging in social groups for enjoyment and learning. Through the power created by providing services to her neighbors and developing informal and formal organizations for personal enjoyment and improvement, social interaction and change, social and political engagement, and by being an advocate to those in her community who had little voice (Addams, 1990) Addams led the settlement experiment to create a major force in history.

The industrial revolution led to new technologies and jobs. Adolescents and adults with even limited skills related to one of the many emerging fields could achieve career advancement and self-improvement (Stubblefield & Kett, b) through various opportunities. The intent of self-improvement may not have been to bring about social change (Stubblefield & Kett, b), however creating a more educated citizenry that does not place importance on inherited qualities of wealth, politics, or intelligence as prerequisites to individual improvement (Stubblefield & Kett, b) supports the aims of a democratic society. Dewey (in Rudolph, 1990b) saw the connection between education with active application to modern life and efforts to popularize education, where he failed in connecting to adults was discovering the areas that would provoke the kind of need that would spur greater participation. Vocational education was the answer to that void. History shows (Rudolph, 1990a & Rudolph, 1990b) that education provided personal gains and that individuals seeking personal or job improvement would flock to relevant and applicable opportunities.

The creation of trade schools, correspondence schools, mechanics institutes and the technical agricultural colleges all pointed to the movement in the purpose of education, from scholarly pursuits that enforced the status quo to providing the working and industrial classes with liberal and practical education. (Rudolph, 1990b) Land grant colleges intended to reach the masses through the ideal that everyone could be provided a college education. (Rudolph, 1990b)

Through the era of social change and self-improvement adult education served the causes of the American people and strengthened the support system for democracy, its people. The education of adults, for both self-improvement and social change, contributed to creating a system where it is a possibility to achieve equality for all men (and women and children). Without the education and democratic participation of the masses that were initially denied full rights of citizenship eventually the hopes and ideals of post-revolution America would have been lulled into a false democracy.

References

Addams, J. (1990). Twenty Years at Hull-House: with autobiographical notes. Urbana and Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Rudolph, F. (1990a).” The College Movement” from The American college and university: A history. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 44-67.

Rudolph, F. (1990b). “Dawning of A New Era” In The American college and university: A history (pp 241-263). Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 241-268.

Stubblefield & Kett (a) "Formative Influences in American Adult Education" from the book Adult Education in America, pgs. 2-16

Stubblefield & Kett (b)"Education’s Role in Building the New Republic" from the book Adult Education in America, pgs. 51-61