Beyond Transformative Learning in African-American Adult Education

By exploring how the religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, and social surroundings of African-American sufferers of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) impacts their understanding of the condition, this book develops a new model of effective adult learning. Presenting the findings of rigorous qualitative research undertaken with five individuals with T2DM, this volume considers how individuals' educational background, their personal experiences, and their relationship with African-American theism have impacted on their efforts to understand and manage the disease. Identification of the social and spiritual dynamics which govern adults' acceptance of a chronic condition such as diabetes, and their ability to manage the illness according to modern medical principles, informs the development of a new theory of adult learning known as permeated learning. This model, which extends beyond transformative learning to recognize the influence of social constructs specific to African-American communities, will have broad application to adult education and the management of chronic diseases. This scholarly text will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, academics, and policymakers in the field of adult education, African-American education, transformative learning, lifelong learning, and multicultural education.

Gerald D. Redwine is Associate Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University, USA.

List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgments Introduction PART 1 Laying the Foundation 1 Mothers, the Martyr's Response, and Afro-Theism 2 The Participants and the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) Subculture 3 Afro-Theism: Subcultural Results 4 The COGIC Significant Subculture PART 2 Research Approach 5 So, What Is the Problem? 6 Purpose and Questions 7 Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory PART 3 Background and Methodology 8 Researcher's Perspective 9 Theoretical Framework PART 4 Data Collection and Analysis 10 Interviews 11 Search for Symbols 12 Data Analysis PART 5 Emerging Theory 13 Emergent Categories: Fear and Ancestral Mentors 14 Emergent Categories: Fix, Fatalism, Faith, Frustration, and Authoritarian Mentors 15 Anatomy of Substantive Living 16 Substantive Living PART 6 The Theory: Emerge of Permeated Learning 17 Key Finding 18 Permeated Learning 19 Permeated Learning: Implications and Recommendations 20 Permeated Learning: Past to Present 21 Gaps Bridged: Permeated Learning Theory Applied References