Training professionals about intimate partner violence is a huge task requiring a theoretical framework that can address the complexity of the problem and highlight the need to be aware of power relationships and political dimensions of professional practice. This paper addresses the increasing recognition on the part of state agencies for…

In Canada, a growing interest within higher education in community engagement practices is evidenced through the establishment of national networks, funding opportunities for community-university research partnerships, and the development of specially designated centres on university campuses. However, based on the literature in continuing…

In this journal's Fall 2009 issue, the Forum section included an article by Gordon Selman and Mark Selman arguing that although Canadian adult education had existed as a social movement in the middle part of the 20th century, it is no longer a social movement. They also speculated about the causes of this change. In the Spring 2011 issue, Tom…

Writing recently in this journal, two of Canada's veteran adult educators contemplated the "death" of the Canadian adult education movement. I disagree and argue that adult education in Canada is as vital an activity as ever and one that still fully justifies being called a movement. Specifically, Selman and Selman (2009) list five trends that…

Extending the dialogue on community engagement, this article examines the potential of a new programming area for university continuing education (UCE) that blends professional development and social change: the investment of university capital in community projects. Increasing interest in applying social and environmental, as well as financial,…

In the Fall 2007 issue of CJUCE, Scott McLean reviewed and analyzed the public claims made by university continuing education (UCE) units about the purpose of their work. He hoped that his survey would promote informed reflection and dialogue about these purposes and generate debate about the future direction of UCE in Canada. This article takes…

Recently, various scholars have remarked that university continuing education (UCE) is moving away from one of its original core foci, that of social justice. In this article, the possible causes of this are discussed, including current political environments, the role of universities and academics in perpetuating or disrupting the status quo, and…

The idea of spirituality is increasingly being used in the context of adult education. This paper will tentatively explore some of the implications of an emergent spirituality within the practice of adult education. It begins by situating our understanding of spirituality in an historical context. This is followed by a brief historical overview of…

Many commentators have argued that Canadian university continuing education has gradually abandoned its historical commitment to social justice in educational programming in favour of a market-oriented approach. Although such literature clearly expresses a deeply-felt sentiment among continuing educators, it has tended to have two problems. First,…

Economic globalization is having ill effects on employment, wages, and job quality. Training is not a panacea for these problems, and adult educators should not allow themselves to be manipulated by the rhetoric. They should inform themselves, stimulate public debate, and propose alternatives. (SK)

In postmodern societies, oppression shifts from centralized, explicitly coercive forms to decentered, subtle processes, inducing individuals to regulate themselves. Foucault's concept of power can assist adult educators in moving from empowering individuals to escape or transform oppressive structures toward helping them resist the disciplining of…

The Antigonish Movement, Farm Radio Forum, and Centre for Community Studies were three Canadian community development programs that supported adult education's social change mission. Current extension practice focuses on cost recovery and marketing courses to those who can pay; these historical examples show a way to renew the mission and vision…