Agrees with Levenson and Crumpler's critique of ontogenetic theories as overly stressing biological determinism. Disagrees with their proposal, in discussing sociogenic and liberative models, that social influences be confined to a weak determinism. Suggests that a problem for developmental theories is to understand ways of increasing individuals'…

Sees Levenson and Crumpler's liberative model as idealistic, and critiques apparently anti-materialistic implications of the model. Maintains that Levenson and Crumpler's suggestion that the goal of adult development is to free the individual from environmental and biological influences is bad science but constitutes a valuable sermon. (BC)

Proposes a model of adult development as the foundation for instruction and training of adults with learning disabilities. Presents the interrelationships and application of Malcolm Knowles' model to adults with learning disabilities along with specific examples applicable to special and vocational educators. (Contains 43 references.) (JOW)

Compares ontogenetic models, which stress development through a series of stages; sociogenic models, which stress the influence of social context on adult behavior; and liberative models. Liberative models do not treat adult development as entirely dependent on biological or social determinism, and do stress individuals' conscious efforts at…

Researchers in South Carolina set up a study and a measurement instrument to determine the powerlessness/alienation phenomenon among rural limited-resource people. They established a control group and an experimental group of black and white residents of six small South Carolina communities. With the control group, they conducted a traditional…