The Portuguese West of Bathurst Project in Toronto (P.I.S.E.M.) is one such group.(1) They are developing material based on the work and home experiences of the women involved. The women develop their own ideas by using photographs of their homes, work places and neighborhood. As the participants become involved in the process they begin to transform their own perspective on their own living and working conditions. Out of this grows written material, vocabulary, reading skills, inquiry skills, community participation, and so on.

Another technique being used widely with women's groups in the U.S. is the Apperception-Interaction Method (AIM). This method is similar to the Freire method except that the material is not necessarily developed from scratch by each group of learners. AIM is based on the belief that adult education is a process concerned initially with promoting self-expression and the sharing of experience about individual problems, interests and concerns, in order to promote self-awareness and motivation that will lead to other activities. Materials are developed through a problem-solving process which utilizes photographs relating to problems and themes. The material is open-ended and nondirective. It consists of a four-page brochure that presents a photograph followed by a short narrative. Material is stored in loose-leaf binders and is also available through audiotape for non-readers. An example is provided in Appendix E.

Material which does reflect women's life experiences and needs invariably focuses on middle class values and attitudes. For immigrant women, native women and low income women, this is not good enough. We did find some new material for native women (U.S. resource) and some which were Canadian and non-sexist. Samples of all these are included in Appendix E.

3.

Resource material which is available and which is often widely used in adult basic education

programs tends to have sexual stereotyping implied throughout. Some samples of these are included in Appendix E.

Basic problems

1.

A wide selection of resource material designed specifically for adults is not generally

available in Canada.
 
2.

Resource material which reflects the life experiences, life styles and needs of Canadian

women is not generally available. That which is available tends to reflect the values and life styles of other countries; of middle class women; or of sexual stereotyping which is adverse to women.

(1). For information on this project write: Sydney Pratt, P.I.S.E.M., 84 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, Ontario or Deborah Barndt, International Council for Adult Education, 252 Bloor Street West (4th floor), Toronto, Ontario.


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