Theoretical Perspectives: Researching the History of Adult Education and Learning in Women's Organisations in Australia

This paper aims to show the blend of theoretical perspectives employed to trace the way women have educated each other, both formally and informally, in a selection of non-government voluntary women's organisations in Australia. My thesis examines the way women's organisations constitute a site of learning for adult education, while identifying the women who have operated as educators within them, whether officially recognised as such or not. The research will also ascertain the extent of learning, whether intentional or incidental, which has taken place in the history of those organisations studied for the purposes of this work, and that which continues to occur. In addition, the amount of recognition of these organisations as sites of learning in the field of adult education will be explored. The work of Griff Foley (1999) is important in tracing the way learning takes place in the context of social action in such organisations.