Adult education and postmoderism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adult education and postmoderism - Essay Example Knowledge is often constructed by men, and so women may have difficulty accessing it. Most knowledge is facts, figures, and well-thought-out theories (produced by men), which leaves learners, both male and female, out of the picture. Personal experiences become secondary to memorizing a set way of doing things and demonstrating how well the learner memorized it through tests and quizzes. When learning is disconnected from learners, it’s difficult to apply to everyday life or understand where the learner fits into the process. When learning is constructed by a male-dominated culture, that removes it even one more step from women learners. Women may feel they have nothing to add to the knowledge base or the learning experience. If the knowledge base is constructed by a male-dominated structure, it affects the learners and instructors, even if those are all women. Creating connections between each individual and the learning, and each individual and every other individual in the learning environment, promotes understanding of the lessons and allows learners to both make it personal and to add to it as they see fit. Seeing each person in the classroom as unique and valuable enhances how much is learned, and changes the dynamic process. Another thing feminist theories are trying to overcome is the idea that women must construct identities to deal with life situations, rather than simply being themselves. When women learners have to construct a false identity in order to participate in learning environments, much of the impact of the knowledge can be lost for them. If we have to concentrate on supporting other group members during a group project, for instance, our own thoughts and feelings on the subject matter become secondary to cheering each other on. The teacher can also experience tension in the learning environment when there are conscious or subconscious authority issues. If a teacher sets