“Like, Share, Comment,” and Learn: Transformative Learning in Online Anti-Trump Resistance Communities

Abstract

This article explores adult participation in online social media resistance groups that formed after the 2016 U.S. presidential election (e.g., Indivisible), why individuals participate, and how their views of citizenship are transformed as a result of their participation. Reporting on demographic and open-ended qualitative survey data, this study describes the demographics of participants and employs inductive and deductive coding as analytic methods. Making use of transformative learning as a metatheory and coding with transformative learning typologies in mind, this article illustrates the range of learning outcomes experienced by participants. Our findings indicate the educative potential of online resistance groups, as participants deepened their understandings of democracy, grew more discerning about information shared online, developed confidence to take action, and saw themselves as newly positioned in democracy, connected and capable of making change.

Adult Education, Futures Literacy, and Deep Democracy: Engaging Democratic Visioning and Anticipatory Futures For More Sustainable Futures

“…Adult and lifelong education, given its historical emphasis on the connections between democracy, education, and informed civic engagement, is an important site of intellectual and practical work in restoring democratic practices. Recent research theorizes about the rise of populism and totalitarianism, the influence of "post truth" society, the impacts of technology and social media on communities, the role of adult learning in civic society, and how adult learning connects simultaneously as an explanation of as well as a remedy to addressing increasing radicalization sweeping our political landscape (Fleener & Barcinas, 2022;Hoggan-Kloubert & Hoggan, 2022;Horton & Friere, 1990;Petrie et al, 2019;Schroeder et al, 2019). Democracies worldwide are struggling to make sense of and respond to the changing landscapes and citizen engagement in the democratic process.…”

Educating Digital Citizens: An Opportunity to Critical and Activist Perspective of Sustainable Development Goals

“…Authors such as Schroeder [33] consider that academics have not fully addressed the potential that social network sites (SNS) and the digital environment have as a transformative, open, inclusive and reflective element of learning. Digital media should be understood as an environment full of opportunities for community engagement from the perspective of critical pedagogy, educating citizens in how to question social and structural inequalities through reflection and, above all, social and political engagement and involvement [34].…”

Educating Digital Citizens on Sustainable Development Goals

“…Authors such as Schroeder [23] consider that academics have not fully addressed the potential that social network sites (SNS) and the digital environment have as a transformative, open, inclusive and reflective element of learning. Digital media should be understood as an environment full of opportunities for community engagement from the perspective of critical pedagogy, educating citizens in how to question social and structural inequalities through reflection and, above all, social and political engagement and involvement [24].…”