Gramsci, Freire, and radical adult education : a few 'blind spots'

Abstract

Ever since my initial engagement in the area of sociology of adult education, Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire have appealed to me as two key figures who can provide theoretical signposts for an exploration of the role that adult education can play in a process of social transformation. I have committed myself to the development of a synthesis project concerning their ideas relevant to adult education. I would argue, however, that in order for a synthesis of their ideas to be relevant to some of the most pressing social concerns of this day and age, one would have to underline certain absences in their work. These 'blind spots,' to borrow bell hooks' ( 1993) vocabulary, need to be addressed at some length to render their work meaningful. In this essay, I shall be confining myself to an analysis centering around these perceived 'blind spots.'