ERIC Number: EJ848415
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0741-7136
EISSN: N/A
Complicated Simplicity: Moral Identity Formation and Social Movement Learning in the Voluntary Simplicity Movement
Sandlin, Jennifer A.; Walther, Carol S.
Adult Education Quarterly: A Journal of Research and Theory, v59 n4 p298-317 2009
This article examines the learning occurring within the voluntary simplicity social movement, focusing specifically on the learning and development of identity via "moral agency" in those individuals who embrace and practice voluntary simplicity. Four key findings are discussed. First, simplifiers craft new identities in a consumption-driven world that reject society's normative subjectivities and re-create more ethical ones. Second, simplifiers develop and reinforce their moral identities through participating in particular practices of the self and self-regulation. Third, simplifiers struggle with trying to balance an ethic of nonjudgment with the very real feelings of being morally superior. Finally, simplifiers face the difficulty of managing collective group identity because of their decentralized and stratified participant base and highly individualistic moral codes. Because collective identity is so closely linked to social movement success, it holds implications for the politics of social movements and their effectiveness in bringing about social change.
Descriptors: Social Change, Ethical Instruction, Moral Issues, Moral Values, Ethics, Self Concept, Self Management, Group Unity, Value Judgment, Social Action, Adult Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A