Facilitating Transformative Learning in Education: Rethinking Stakeholder roles and responsibilities through teaching about the Social EconomyAnnie McKitrickJanel SmithOctober 2009

Content of the presentationBrief overview of CSERP.What is the Social Economy in Canada and around the world.Why it is an important concept in facilitating transformative education.Potential in community service learning.Discussion.

BackgroundAnalysis of Canadian provincial and territorial high school curricula to explore what students bring to their post secondary studies.Focus on the organizations that are integral to the community service-learning and university-community research partnerships.

The Canadian Social Economy Research PartnershipsSix research centers.A National Hub - University of Victoria.79 affiliated universities (Canadian and International).300 Researchers come from15 academic disciplines.140 partner organizations including all three levels of government.40 student researchers

Overview of the CSERP Vision

To build collaboration between researchers and practitioners to better understand and encourage initiatives at the local, provincial and national levels so that the Social Economy and its related approaches will be more widely understood and applied in Canada.To encourage the creation of an enabling environment for the Social Economy to thrive.

The National Social Economy Hub jointly managed:Dr. Ian MacPherson from University of VictoriaRupert Downing, of the Canadian Community Development Network (CCEDNet), a practitioner organizationNational board made up of the 6 regional nodes and national practitioner organizations.

CSE Hub Organization

Overview of the Social EconomyThe Social Economy consists of association-based economic initiatives founded on values of:Service to members of community rather than generating profits.Autonomous management (not government or market controlled);Democratic decision making;Primacy of persons and work over capital;Based on principles of participation, empowerment.

Definitions:Canadian Practitioner Definition:"The Social Economy includes: social assets (housing, childcare, etc.), social enterprises including cooperatives, equity and debt capital for community investment, social purpose businesses, community training and skills development, integrated social and economic planning, and capacity building and community empowerment. The social economy is a continuum that goes from the one end of totally voluntary organizations to the other end where the economic activity (social enterprise) blurs the line with the private sector." Between the private and public economy

the CCEDNet National Policy Council, Social Economy Roundtable Consultation Briefing Notes, 2005

One way to conceptualize the SESource:Jack QuarterSouthern Ontario node

Service to Community / Primacy of persons over profit provides goods and services for the public interest or to members, not a tool in the service of capital investment Empowerment transformation of individuals or communities, to become more invested with power and authority however defined. Civic Engagement / Active Citizenry / Volunteer Association concept of investing (non-monetarily) and active participation in ones community. Social and Economic values and mission the set of values and overarching mission of Social Economy acteurs and organizations are both social and economic in scope.Values

Profit (re)distribution limited or prohibited distribution of profits to members or invested back into the business, limited return on capital, not publicly-traded or available for purchase in the sense of the capital economic model.

Autonomous Management / Collective ownership self-management by members or communities, no one individual holds ownership over the organization.

Democratic governance and decision-making refers theoretically to the principle of one member/person, one vote (not one share, one vote).

Third sector / Self-governing Sector a middle way that operates for the most part operates between the public and private sectors, and is governed by neither sector. Characteristics / Structure

Transformative/Civil Society Defining Principles: empowerment of individuals and communities, and collective enterprise/action focus.

contributes to the renewal of positive and active citizenship.

principal focus on political function (though not excluding social and economic) of Social Economy.

concerned with political measurement and impacts of SEas well as impacting and altering political structures.

approached function and mission of SE and an alternative to neo-conservative, capital models of governance and economic activity, and doesnt accept as given the current political and economic structures in which we operate, i.e. goal is to transform sectors, re-draw boundaries of operation.Cont

primary focus: prioritizes social change over economic/market Function.

locus of activity: transnational, communities and spaces conceived of generally as broader than geographic location, presents and searches for alternative views and practices of globalization, economy, and ways of practicing politics/governing.

(McKitrick & Smith 2008)

IntroductionChange in the nature of the state from interventionist to facilitative (Brock and Bulpitt 2007, p. 2).increase in reliance on the private and third sectors.increase in the number and coordination of social movements and organizations. renewed discussion around what it means to live in a democratic society and the ideas surrounding active citizenry, responsible citizens and civil or civic associations and society.

Educationone of the major tasks that education must perform in a democratic society is the proper preservation of young citizens for the roles and responsibilities they must be ready to take on when they reach maturity citing Kelly (1995), Smith (2001).

Transformative learningProcess of seeking to get beyond a pre-occupation with the attainment of factual knowledge in the classroom.

Involving experiencing a deep structural shift in basic premises of thought, feelings and actions. It is a shift of consciousness that dramatically and permanently alters our way of being in the world. (Transformative Learning Center at OISE/University of Toronto).

How does the concept of the Social Economy facilitate Transformative LearningEducation as a transformative experience helps to shape and define citizenship.Can also be understood to be connected to the practice of democracy and values of social justice.Calls for active engagement with, and seeks to strengthen, relationships and movements that embody democratic values and encourage collective action.

Existing opportunitiesService-learning or experiential learning

Community education programs

Community based research

Citizen education

Opportunities rethinking the community service-learning partnershipRole of university in partnership with Social Economy organizations to enable the development of transformative learning opportunities.True reciprocity and mutuality in service (experiential) education. (Marullo & Edwards 2000)Understanding the values of the Social Economy organizations and their transformative roles in society.

Conclusion Ultimately, if we are to facilitate in schools some notion of an ethical culture to which an altered form of aesthetic education might powerfully contribute, it is important that the personal, social, and political implications of moral values for our lives and actions, in and out of school, become part of the curriculum (Beyer 2000, p. 85). This is the essence of transformative learning.

Thank you

Annie McKitrick secoord@uvic.ca

Janel Smithjanels@uvic.ca

*****How the activity is organized ie. The form of organization that the organization has and the values that drive the work is underpinning the concept of the SE.

Haween enterprise is a not for profitService is to the community providing employmentNot for profit runs its own activitiesGoal is to empower immigrant women to achieve economic security*Use the Petites Mains bag as a tool.**