The Community

1. It is critical that some outlet be provided for educators to express emotions related to their work. Establishing community-based connections with existing adult education or women's organizations could be considered; CCLOW is a good example. Some jurisdictions have set up provincial organizations or networks comprised of all those working or interested in the areas of sexual harassment or gender equity.

The Academy

1. The traditional view of adult education which describes the relationship of the educator and learner in gender neutral and mutually-beneficial terms should be challenged. The teacher/learner relationship is not benign or inherently positive. The power dynamics in learning situations must be studied from the perspective of women educators and the is research is especially relevant for those who work publicly from a feminist perspective.
   
   
2. Stronger links must be forged between the academy and the practice of adult education. The integration of practical work placements would create an opportunity for students of adult education to connect the theoretical with the practical. In support of this notion, Collins suggests that a "carefully mediated internship experience is the key to reflective practice" (91). I believe that my educational experience would have been more meaningful and my subsequent work as an adult educator more effective if I had been involved in a practicum experience. The relationship between the academy and the adult education community could be strengthened as a result of both parties being involved in the internship placement process.¹
   
   Also, academic forums such as conferences and symposiums should be made more accessible to students and others in the community of adult education who have a desire to reflect on the complexities of practice. Those working in the academies would become more conscious of the dilemmas and challenges experienced by adult educators in the field, and practitioners would benefit from the knowledge and resources available in the academies. In light of the imminent funding cutbacks to post-secondary education and the increased pressure on universities to remain viable, stronger linkages must be maintained as a means of strengthening the relevancy between the theory and practice of adult education.
   
   
3. Work that expands the boundaries of a traditional male perspective in the literature, research, and theory of adult education must continue. In light of the fact that many of the changes made to adult education programs amount to tinkering (Burstow), it is critical that fundamental components of feminist content and process are integrated into academic course work. It is essential that, during this time of a feminist backlash and of unprecedented budget cuts, those who are studying to be adult educators have opportunities to explore the learning process from a feminist perspective. The academy has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that students of adult education are presented with a comprehensive view that integrates rather than marginalized the contributions and perspectives of women.

Conclusion

A common thread that has surfaced throughout my learning journey is the need to make sense of my experiences and of the broader context in which I study and practice as an adult educator. Respect for personal histories and building on the reality of lived personal experiences in a feminist-rooted approach to learning and research continues to inform my understanding of adult education.

The process of personal reflection has revealed the lack of recognition and support for the role of the adult educator and for the personal and emotional dimensions of practice. It has been my desire to contribute to a better understanding of adult education, and to create opportunities (in the workplace, the community, and the academy) to support and continue the work to have women's concerns and perspectives more fully integrated into the practice and theory of adult education.

Reprinted from WEdf, Winter 1996/97, Volume 12, Number 4. Nancy Reid's graphic was reprinted from the same issue.

Cheryl Senecal resides in Regina and is currently employed with Saskatchewan Women's Secretariat. She holds a Master of Adult Education, and this article is an edited version of the project she completed for her degree. She assumed the CCLOW Presidency in fall 1998.

¹"Quality Circles," described by Willis as a reflective and dialogic process entered into by both students and academic educators "to investigate and enrich their practice as educators," and presently piloted at the University of South Australia, is one potential model for adult education academic environments (see Willis).