Adult Learning through Participation in Rural Community Groups

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates what adults learn through participation in community groups. An iterative content analysis was conducted on transcripts from ten in-depth interviews with active members of community groups throughout upstate New York. This process yielded 259 learning statements which were then classified into 8 learning categories. Here we present a rich description of what people learn in the context of local group activities. Understanding the learning that occurs in community group contexts has implications for adult educators and extension workers, as well as for the development of theoretical models of adult learning.

Refiguring Self And Identity Through Volunteer Tourism

“…The volunteer tourism experience, when examined in this context seems able to provide the opportunity to learn through experiences (cf. Ewert, 1987;Whitmore, 1988), and the benefits accrued from such experiences can fundamentally influence identity (cf. Scheyer and Driver, 1989), and subsequently affect groups and communities.…”

Seeking Self: Leisure and Tourism on Common Ground

“…The ecotourism/volunteer tourism/outdoor recreational experience, when examined within the context of this paper appears to provide the opportunity to learn through experiences (Ewert, 1987;Whitmore, 1988), and the benefits accrued from such experiences can fundamentally influence identity (Scheyer and Driver, 1989), and subsequently affect groups and communities. Thus, while the individual is important in this paper, it is critical in understanding ecotourism/volunteer tourism/ outdoor recreational experiences that the social environment is given significant recognition.…”

Schools for community activists: A report of the first decade's experience

“…All training is on an individual basis. Whitmore, Sappington, Compton, and Green (1988), concluding their research on informal learning through community participation and leadership, suggest that there are great possibilities for "rich and varied learning" on the basis of the knowledge and skills already acquired informally and note the added importance of the group context. Goals, Structure, and Content of the Courses Pardess (1988) states six goals for the Israeli community activists' schools: developing knowledgeable and capable local leaders; creating a reservoir of local leaders to develop programs suited to the community's needs; imparting knowledge in the areas of decision making, communications, locating resources, and building contacts outside the neighborhood; learning how groups work; developing sensitivity to community needs; and forming local leadership teams.…”