Issues in the News 4

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The last reading assignment in class required us to study about adult education and the implications it has on numerous, different populations and globalization. The issue of adult education has become extremely essential in today’s world what with the numerous hardships in climate, and economy. The topic and issue of adult education is also highly significant to me and any other education practitioner as it is our responsibility to improve the society through educating and providing every one with an opportunity to obtain a meaningful education (Flannery, 1995). As it follows, this significance of education is going to be further explored in this paper through a review of an article in the news that is relevant to numerous cultures and diversity involved in adult education.

The author of the article East Meets West: Cross- cultural perspectives in Wisdom and adult Education begin the article by citing that adult education and wisdom has a meaning and a role in improving the quality of life in the society. The dialectical associations that exist between adult education and wisdom are also examined in the article. Numerous regions in the globe have different living conditions and cultures which have essential impacts on the way individuals define a fair life. At the crossroads of the globe, the early Greeks worked hard to obtain a living from trading with other individuals from different cultures. The Chinese, on the other hand, lived in environments that were harsh which forced them to get separated from other cultures and unite with each other. As it follows, these different conditions of life helped develop worldviews that were different (Shih-ying Yang).

The worldview of the ancient Greek was shaped on precise analysis and logical reasoning foundation. The Chinese were influenced by Taoism and lived in harmony with their surrounding environment. Scholars from the western part of the world emphasized abstract thinking and knowledge. As a result of this, their form of education became largely influenced by their hard work to obtain formal education and intelligence. However, the ancient Chinese emphasized more on building personal characteristics other than intelligence and knowledge. The author also points out that the concepts of ‘good life’ were different in both cultures and that they were dependent in the cultural backgrounds of the societies. The conclusions of the author are that wisdom manifestations are different in the East and the West. The author indicates that adult education can aid in wisdom pursuit by emphasizing more on wisdom that can be useful in helping individuals resolve essential issues in life. Numerous techniques can be utilized to motivate or encourage adult learners to fulfill and work harder for their self- defines goals and visions of life that is fair (Shih-ying Yang).

In the article reviewed, the author clearly indicates the meaning and role of adult education and wisdom in different cultures. She does this by mentioning the different intellectual inheritances and origins from Western and Eastern regions. It is clear from the article that different life conditions and cultural backgrounds have resulted to differences in manifestations of wisdom and awareness (Colin, 1994). Additionally, she also cites a number if methodologies in adult education and techniques. It is clear from the article that understanding cultural backgrounds and wisdom of different people is essential for activities in education (Ross-Gordon, 1991).

References

Colin, S. A. J., III. (1994). Adult and Continuing Education Graduate Programs. Prescriptions for the Future. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education 61, 53-62.

Flannery, D. D. (1995). Adult Education and the Politics of the Theoretical Text. In Critical Multiculturalism: Uncommon Voices in a Common Struggle, edited by B. Kanpol and P. McLaren. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.

Ross-Gordon, J. M. (1991).Needed: A Multicultural Perspective for Adult Education Research. Adult Education Quarterly 42(1), 1-6.

Shih-ying Yang. East Meets West: Cross-cultural Perspectives on Wisdom and Adult Education