Transformation and ‘Struggles of Hope’:
An Analysis of the Role of Transformative Learning Theory in Anti-Racism Education
Chad Hoggan
North Carolina State University, USA
Introduction
For many practitioners, social justice is the primary purpose of adult education (English, 2005; Johnston 2004). Different forms of social injustice are often analyzed in the literature, such as those related to race, gender, economic class and sexual orientation. For those practitioners who study racism, the focus is often on ways in which racism is institutionalized and systemic (Manglitz et al. 2005).
Because of this approach, transformative learning theory is often discounted because of its focus on individual learning and change rather than on broad societal change (Collard and Law 1989; Baptiste 1999). Transformative learning is a theory of adult education that focuses on deep changes in a person’s way of making meaning. These changes do not reflect additional information learned as much as they do core shifts in how a person experiences life on a day-to-day basis, and how people interpret things they see, hear and otherwise perceive in order to construct ‘events’ in their minds. The theory, especially as articulated by its seminal author, Mezirow, is influenced strongly by critical social theory. As such, it is focused on the role of education in helping people become both aware and critical of their underlying assumptions. In doing so, they participate more fully in self-authoring their beliefs and their lives.
Although some practitioners specifically use transformative learning theory in their work for social justice (Watson 2005; O'Sullivan, Morrell and O'Connor 2002), the vast majority of the literature on social justice neither addresses nor uses transformative learning theory. For instance, a search by this author using EBSCOhost Research Database yielded almost 9,000 articles when using ‘social justice’ as the search parameter, along with the requirement that a full text version be available. Yet, when ‘transformative learning’ or ‘transformational learning’ was added to the parameters, the search engine produced only three publications. Although this method is admittedly non-scientific and surely misses many publications that address both transformative learning theory and social justice, the difference revealed in the two searches is so great that it seems a more rigorous examination is not necessary to conclude that transformative learning theory is not prominently used in social justice research.
This paper explores the potential role of transformative learning theory in educational efforts aimed at issues of racism and social justice. To do so, it analyzes the article ‘Struggles for Hope: How White Adult Educators Challenge Racism,’ (Manglitz et al. 2005) in terms of its implications for the necessity of individual perspective transformations and, accordingly, the need for activists to promote individual change.
Analysis
‘Struggles for Hope’ describes the efforts of seven white educators in the United States who actively labor against racism. The primary research questions were: ‘a) What understandings of racism and White Privilege do the adult educators bring to their work? And (b) How do their understandings of racism and White Privilege guide them to take action to challenge racism?’ (Manglitz et al. 2005, p.1253). The results related to both of these questions included descriptions of participants’ ‘perspective transformations’ (Mezirow 1978) as being pivotal moments in their understanding of racism and their commitment to fighting it.
In answering the research questions, the first of two ‘understandings of racism’ common among the participants was that racism is systemic in the United States. Although this would seem to indicate that the solution to racism lies in correcting the overall system, participants claimed otherwise.
Each (educator) carried an understanding that change begins with the individual and that blaming or passing the responsibility for change to the institutions or to the system was a frequently used excuse. Although trying to get people to see that they make up the system and that as part of the system the change must begin with them is often complicated (Manglitz et al. 2005, p.1254).
Despite the agreement that racism is systemic and institutionalized, the authors assert that overcoming racism on an individual basis is necessary. As Voltaire exhorted, ‘when one tries to change institutions without having changed the nature of men, that unchanged nature will soon resurrect those institutions’ (Durant 1953, p.188-189). Therefore, only two choices are available: 1) change people or 2) change both people and the system. The system, however, is more than mere institutions. Rather, it could be defined as the myriad assumptions, worldviews, biases and thought processes common in a society. Viewed this way, it ultimately resides only within the minds of individuals. Although a system of thought influences people, ultimately those same people create the system of thought. If changing the system without changing individual thinking is not a viable route for broad societal change to occur, then such change must either start with or at least include individual change.
The second ‘understanding of racism’ common to the educators in this study was the impact of White Privilege. In summarizing this finding, the authors used terms strikingly congruent with transformative learning theory. ‘The process of critically reflecting on one’s own life and obtaining insight into one’s own privilege cannot be underestimated in its importance to the process of becoming a change agent’ (Manglitz et al. 2005, p.1256). They spoke of distinct moments in the lives of the participants as ‘life markers’ (p.1256) and cited Mezirow’s (1978) work on transformative learning theory.
The participants in this study describe very deep personal changes that resound with themes common in the language of transformative learning theory. For example, in discussing the effects of that their relationships with People of Color, they use words such as ‘transformation,’ ‘conversion,’ and ‘miraculous’ (Manglitz et al. 2005, p.1262). The anti-racism educators in this study discuss ‘deep-seated and unknown biases’ (p.1269) within themselves that they continue to reveal, examine and address. Similarly, they recognize the necessity of ongoing small transformations in talking about their own deeply embedded feelings of ‘internalized superiority’ (p.1269) over People of Color. They discuss finding ways in which this superiority is manifested within themselves and work to overcome it, only to find that different contexts reveal that the same underlying feelings are still present.
Discussion
It seems obvious that themes common to transformative learning theory are also common to the anti-racism educators discussed in this study. Additionally, the authors recognized the theory as a frame through which to present the personal transformations in the lives of their participants. This begs the question of why transformative learning theory is not more commonly used in the research, writing and work of anti-racism efforts.
Transformative learning theory has much to offer the research and work of social justice. This study, for instance, described how some social activists purposefully use reflection on experience as an educational method designed to promote fundamental changes in thinking – for both themselves and those with whom they work. For example, some found it useful to encourage people to relate to their personal experiences with sexism to better understand and address racism (McIntosh, cited in Manglitz et al. 2005). Yet, if we are looking for ways to promote deep change in people’s understandings, there are many additional ways of doing so in conjunction with invoking experience. Some of these techniques include critical reflection on one’s assumptions and dialogue with others in a collaborative effort to uncover and evaluate implicit assumptions (Mezirow and Associates 2000). Other techniques seek to foster creativity and imagination as a means of both personal discovery and envisioning alternatives (Hoggan et al. in press). Other techniques are designed to promote individual cognitive development so that transformative learning is more likely to occur (Kegan 2000, Merriam 2004). The literature of transformative learning theory is replete with suggestions for how to promote deep transformations and support students going through that often uncomfortable, if not painful, process (Cranton 2006; Mezirow and Associates 2000).
Reciprocally, social justice research could contribute much to the dialogue of transformative learning theory. For example, the findings of this study seem to imply that Mezirow’s definition of a perspective transformation does not mean that the learner will no longer need to address specific and contextual habits of mind. Specifically, these activists felt the need to continuously recognize and address ways in which they remain complicit in the system of racism despite deep anti-racist perspective transformations. An intriguing research question would be how changing some habits of mind can lead to perspective transformation, and yet how other habits of mind around similar issues but in different contexts can remain unchanged.
Also, a common ethical concern in transformative learning theory is whether an educator can justify trying to promote major life transformations in their students. Yet, in this study, as well as in the whole arena of social justice, we find people who feel that promoting such transformations are not only ethical, but indeed are the only way to be ethical.
Conclusion
If, as stated above, social activists are intently interested in promoting major changes in people’s fundamental worldviews, why ignore a theory that is expressly focused on that very process. If personal transformations are necessary, why not look to transformative learning theory for help in understanding how to foster those transformations? I do not naively assert that transformative learning theory is the only lens through which to analyze issues of social justice. Nevertheless, this study of anti-racism activists illustrates the necessity of individual perspective transformations if people are to overcome racism deeply embedded in a culture. It follows, then, that if such deep individual change is necessary, that transformative learning theory is a useful tool for understanding that specific form of change, as it is focused specifically on it. To ignore this theory solely because it focuses on individual change is misguided, as it is ultimately through the changing of individuals that broad and lasting social change can occur.
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