History of Adult and Community Education, 1970 – 1979
EDAC 631 Spring, 2024
Sherry Boylan | Commented On: Kailee Saulsgiver’s blog post. |
Introduction/Social Background
I chose to dive into the 1970s for my history paper. I was a small child during that decade and really do not know much about it other than some of the unforgettable fashion trends and a few of the TV shows or movies I have mostly seen in reruns, so I thought it would be fun to learn about the education system during that time.
I was interested to find there was a lot of growth and movement happening in all areas during the 1970’s. For instance, major changes were visible in music including the Beatles break-up, disco, commercial pop, funk jams, punk rock, early heavy metal and even some very early hip-hop all hit the scene and the start of stadium rock concerts.
Movies and tv programs also saw substantial changes, partly in thanks to loosened restrictions and being known as the “golden era of socially conscious filmmaking” (The 1970s - Fashion, Events & Facts, 2023) and new, computer-generated special effects. These changes brought us movies like The Godfather, Star Wars, Jaws, Rocky, and “disaster” movies like The Towering Inferno and social and political topics covered in TV shows like Happy Days, Dallas, All in the Family, M*A*S*H and Saturday Night Live.
Causing a major impact on many areas, technology had a major growth spurt in the 1970s that brought us the likes of inline skates, video games, video cassettes, the first Walkman, disposable lighters, sticky notes, ATMS and LED products. Apple Computers, Intel, and Microsoft (Timeline of the 1970s | Britannica, n.d.) all got their start in the 70s as well. Likewise, technological advances brought major developments in the medical field. Birth control, in vitro fertilization, liposuction, the MRI, and artificial heart were all introduced in the 1970’s.
The 70’s saw continued fights for equality for women’s right and gay rights, with the first pride parade occurring in the 70s. Fights for better wages and working conditions were also happening. Anti-war protests were still going on as the Vietnam war continued through early 1973. Some of these anti-war protests, like Kent State, resulted in tragedy when student protesters were shot by the National Guard.
Political changes went from ultra-conservative republican at the beginning of the 70s, with a focus on family values to liberal democrats in office by the end of the decade. Watergate happened. Jonestown happened. The voting age was lowered to 18. The OPEC oil embargo caused a terrible energy crisis with super-high gas prices when it was available for purchase. Politics related to the environment brought about changes like the first Earth Day, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act. It also brought about changes in fuel economy requirements for cars. (The 1970s - Fashion, Events & Facts, 2023)
Many of these events and changes contributed to the increased need for Adult Education in the 70’s. There was a need to address the inequality in education for those groups who had previously been unable to obtain it because of their gender, race, or ethnic background. Another key factor was how to get all the returning Vietnam soldiers back into the workforce. Add to this the technological advance created new jobs or changed how existing jobs worked, so now current employees and those seeking new employment needed to be taught how to use the newly created technology in everything from making cars to making films and music. All these factors cried out for advancements and improvements in adult education programs.
Highlights
Current trends in the 1970’s adult education looked to address equality, emerging technology, and veterans and post-war babies by focusing on basic literacy, vocational and professional training. There was also growth in personal development education.
Activists continued to fight for equal educational opportunities in their push for equality. To address this, the United States government passed the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. P.L. 92-318, commonly referred to as Title IX, of this amendment contained regulations stating, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” (Civil Rights Division | Title Ix Of The Education Amendments Of 1972, 2015). This helped more women obtain higher education. Title III of this same act provided federal funding to help makes sure English learners were educated to meet state academic standards. (Title III Grants FAQ | NCELA - English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs, n.d.) which helped level the playing field for immigrant job hunters.
As mentioned, technology had major advances during the 70’s. Not only did this require training to teach people how to work with the modern technology of that time, but recent technology changes also opened new ways to deliver education, making it available to a more diverse and wider audience than before.
The end of the Vietnam war brought soldiers home who now needed to find employment. Added to this, the baby boomers reached adulthood, so now there was a large demand for higher education. Both groups needed workforce training to find employment, which meant adult education programs need to be implemented to meet these needs.
Influential Factors
Malcom Knowles was one of the most influential educators in the 1970’s. Knowles published several books and articles about education including "The Modern Practice of Adult Education: Andragogy vs. Pedagogy" and The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species. He considered education from a humanistic viewpoint, had an “andragogical” theory that adults learning is informal and should include past experiences, and he believed in a learner-centric approach, stating the need to “absorb into our culture the ancient insight that the heart of education is learning, not teaching and so our focus has started to shift from what the teacher does to what happens to the learners. (Knowles, 1973)
Radical Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire Another was another very well-known educator of the 70’s. In his book, “The Pedagogy of the Oppressed” published in 1970. Freire theorizes that students and teachers should work together to share knowledge, with both parties taking responsibility for the learning experience. This method empowers the learner rather than the instructor. (Freire, 1970)
Other notable educational events of the decade included establishing the Department of Education in 1979, as the “agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education.” (An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education-- Pg 1, 2018)
Adult Education saw the establishment of several clearing houses and professional organizations in the 1970’s, including AEC, ERIC-CAVE and NCCE, AAACE, all of which provided information and resources on various adult education topics. (Chang, n.d.)
Implications
The main takeaway from this study was that we expect changes in adult education any time other changes are occurring. As Dr. Green says in her video, “Nothing happens in a vacuum. Every time we look at something really interesting that happens, look at what's going on in the society around it.” (History of Adult Ed in America - YouTube, n.d.)
Adult educators had to quickly make changes to their programs so they could accommodate learners needing basic education to help adults eliminate barriers previously experienced by marginalized groups, provide employee training and education to help Vietnam vets obtain jobs once they returned from the war and to help all workers learn how to use the latest technology so they could keep up with the changes in their jobs.
New continuing education organizations emerged, and even the government made changes by passing the Higher Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX and Title III. These still influence education today.
History should have already taught us to expect change, and this decade was a shining example of why that is true.
Table 1. Summary of the History of Adult/Community Education
Areas | Summary |
Social Background | · Changes in music, filmmaking, tv · Technology advances · Vietnam war ends · Oil embargo and energy crisis · Equity, social and political movements |
Highlights and Influential Factors | · Technology advances · Vietnam war ends · Baby boomers reach adulthood · Title IX & Title III · Malcome Knowles · Paulo Freire · Department of Education Created · AE organizations established |
Implications | · Changes in Adult Education occur whenever other changes are happening · Adult education will evolve to address the current needs of the student |
References
An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education—Pg 1. (2018, May 14). [Pamphlets]. US Department of Education (ED). https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/what.html
Chang, B. (n.d.). 1970s. Adulteducation. https://changbo111.wixsite.com/adulteducation/1970s
Civil Rights Division | Title Ix Of The Education Amendments Of 1972. (2015, August 6). https://www.justice.gov/crt/title-ix-education-amendments-1972
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Herder and Herder.
History of Adult Ed in America—YouTube. (n.d.). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D1dRZuStOA (3:40)
Knowles, M. S. (1973). The adult learner: A neglected species. Gulf Pub. Co. (pp. 40-41)
The 1970s—Fashion, Events & Facts. (2023, April 20). HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/1970s/1970s-1
Timeline of the 1970s | Britannica. (n.d.). https://www.britannica.com/story/timeline-of-the-1970s
Title III Grants FAQ | NCELA - English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs. (n.d.). https://ncela.ed.gov/title-iii-grants-faq
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