This article explores informal adult education for change in Mexico through the conceptual lens of social movement learning and public pedagogy. It adopts a multiple case design featuring two advocacy networks, two civil society organisations, and two self-help authors. It analyses how they position themselves as change agents addressing issues of…

This article reports an empirical case study of a community self-help group (chama) in Western Kenya, utilising the study circle model promoted by a Swedish non-governmental organisation. Methodologically, it is a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and participant observation for data collection. The results show that the study…

In this article, we explore the relationship between adult education and socioeconomic precariousness, through extending existing scholarship regarding the concept of the hidden curriculum. We analyze transcripts of 134 qualitative interviews undertaken to explore the learning experiences associated with reading self-help books in the domains of…

Numerous scholars have documented and critiqued the predominance of neoliberal policies and rationalities shaping adult and continuing education around the world. Contemporary sociologists have argued that neoliberal citizens are characterized by hyperindividuality and a strong sense of personal autonomy. Self-help reading is widely viewed as one…

Self-help literature has become an important domain of adult learning in North America. Self-help books offer readers advice on how to take charge of their lives and achieve goals such as prosperity, love, happiness, wellness, and self-actualization. Despite the popularity of self-help books, there has been little research about them from scholars…

The education of African American adults evolved in response to the changing social, economic, and political needs of the Black community. To address these needs, Black Greek-Letter Organizations (BGLOs) created and implemented initiatives at the local, national, and international levels using education as a catalyst to change aspects of African…

Parents in the Western world today are often said to feel unsure and inadequate and as a consequence there are a plethora of self-help products on the market as well as parent education programmes. This article explores the kinds of research questions that are raised by this state of affairs. The discussion is mainly based on existing studies of…

The self-help University of the Third Age (U3A) is an adult education approach for older people in which all the teaching and administration is carried out by unpaid volunteers. The purpose of this study was to reveal some of the successful ageing characteristics of the 205 independent U3As in Australia and the 60 independent U3As in New Zealand…

This article introduces the notion of self-help as a unique form of self-directed learning that contains the inherent capacity to span the life-cycle. Self-help refers to the process that occurs within small, voluntary, peer-run, mutual aid support groups that offer the opportunity to overcome or cope with a common concern or problem. (JOW)

In 19th-century England, mutual improvement societies developed, through which working class men attempted to educate themselves and engage in political discussion. Many were associated with groups that did not conform to the Church of England. (SK)

A study at the University of Alabama/Birmingham (UAB) compared adult asthma patients receiving a self-care workbook with those receiving only asthma pamphlets. Outcomes were assessed in five areas: (1) health care utilization, (2) functional status, (3) knowledge, (4) adherence, and (5) psychological reactions. (Author/CH)

The authors outline the field development of a self-advocacy program whose central purpose is to assist seniors to speak up for what they need to maintain control of their health and their lives. They state that results support the effectiveness of this model. (Author/CH)

The article, written in Spanish, gives examples of the Barrio Education Project's work in San Antonio and poses some serious questions about the importance of Spanish for the Hispanic community. Illiteracy, or "functional illiteracy" is a growing problem in the U.S. among all sectors of the population--English- and Spanish-speaking.…

Discusses the lyceum, originally designed primarily to give local citizens an opportunity to speak, debate and discuss, and notes Josiah Holbrook's contributions to the lyceum movement considered to be one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching movements in America from 1830 to 1850. (MH)

Discusses Tennessee's Highlander Folk School. Reports that the school helped organize labor unions and played a role in the civil rights movement of the 1950s. Explains that Highlander sought to bring about southern integration. Argues that successful civic education draws out the experiences and interests of participants and nurtures respect and…