Educating for a Change

George G. Ambury is an associate professor of adult education at
Queen’s University.

This is a book about power, politics, and how to educate adults for
social change. Its writers bring with them a variety of cultural
perspectives, a broad range of practical experience, and an undisguised
zeal to change power relationships both in education and in society.

It begins by reminding educators that they need to be honest, from the
beginning, about their own motives. At all stages in the process, a
democratic approach to learning is advocated, with the leadership fully
open and participating with each other and with the learners. Thorough
and documented planning is suggested, both as a help in future design
tasks and as a way of demystifying the educational process (descriptions
of the design are frequently shared with participants). In recognition
of the anxiety that most group leaders feel as the event begins, two
pages tell “What to do in the first hour.” The chapter on learning
activities is as comprehensive as one is liable to find in any book of
this size. Activities are included to help open the event, to build on
the learners’ experience, to incorporate theory, and to develop skills
and action. Important and helpful for all who are interested in
conscientious and effective leadership, Chapter 4 addresses issues
surrounding the ideology and practice of democratic group facilitation.

Those who use the book for practical help will appreciate the many
lists of tips, which come from the writers’ many years of experience
in leading popular education workshops. Resources for activities are
thoroughly described and relevant both to group processes and to topics
in popular education. While the book is quite well documented, it would
be strengthened by the addition of an index. The approach to planning
and design advocated is idiosyncratic to this particular group; it
sometimes sounds trite and obvious, while at other times it verges on
being overly complex. Nevertheless, this is a refreshing and eminently
usable work, not only for the social activist but also for anyone who
wishes to use personal and democratic approaches to helping adults learn
and change.