Book Analysis

Analysis:

What I gleamed from the book as it relates to Adult Education is the need to ensure that Women’s voice is taken into consideration when creating theories or development models.

There is no argument that men and women are psychologically different. The argument here is not if one gender is better, smarter, or right however, it is critical that both voices are heard. It is critical that both viewpoints are examined and considered.

For those who have completed EDAE 624 – Adult Teaching and Learning, you will recall that we discussed in depth Psychological development and the stages of Adult Development. We even explored Erikson’s Psychosocial Development model in particular. This is the same model that Gilligan challenges in her book. According to Gilligan, Erikson’s model was created based on interpretation of the male child. She does not argue that the stages are not applicable to the male child she merely contends that the female interpretation results in the stages are a bit different and since women make up around 50% of the audience, it would behoove us not to include this population in the research. Therefore, life cycle theories should include experiences of both males and females to be all inclusive.

What does this have to do with Adult Education? In an effort to mentor Adult Learners and guide them through their transformational journeys in education, Adult Educators must be aware of their audiences, their social roles and the timing of life events that affect their audience’s development. When we utilize theorist’s models, we need to know that they are all encompassing; that they look at all of human experiences and not just one sided.

Gilligan worked with Erikson and Kohlberg at Harvard. They taught psychology in the traditions of Freud and Piaget. Through research, listening, studies and interviews, Gilligan found that the basic conflict that men face in the adolescence stage of Erikson’s model, Identity vs. Role Confustion, was actually faced by women in the young adulthood stage and that during a women’s adolescence stage the basic conflict was that of Intimacy vs. Isolation which men experience in their young adulthood stage. This is extremely important to recognize as Adult educators as the Young Adulthood stage spans from 19 – 40 years.

To be successful as Adult Educators, our focus on course development, audience expectations and needs, and transformational learning, must take into consideration our learner’s motivations, social roles, and assumptions, all of which are driven by their psychological development which differs between men and women.