learning = dependence?

(again, same reference as below: Knowles, et. al.)

From the second assumption of the andragogical model (which is different from the pedagogical model - or how kids learn):

"2. The learners' self-concept. Adults have a self-concept of being responsible for their own decisions, for their own lives. Once they have arrived at that self-concept, they develop a deep psychological need to be seen by others and treated by others as being capable of self-direction. They resent and resist situations in which they feel others are imposing their wills on them. This presents a serious problem in adult education: The minute adults walk into an activity labeled "education," "training," or anything synonymous, they hark back to their conditioning in their previous school experience, put on their dunce hats of dependency, fold their arms, sit back, and say "teach me." this assumption of required dependency and the facilitator's subsequent treatment of adult students as children creates a conflict within them between their intellectual model - learner equals dependent - and the deeper, perhaps subconscious, psychological need to be self-directing. And the typical method of dealing with psychological conflict is to try to flee from the situation causing it, which probably accounts in part for the high dropout rate in much voluntary adult education. As adult educators become aware of this problem, they make efforts to create learning experiences in which adults are helped to make the transition from dependent to self-directing learners." (p. 65)

I'm sure you can find one example in your life where this is totally true. Think back to your college days... or even the stereotypically college student... I would guess that much of the rebellion that comes from college students stems from this transition into adulthood. They are living in an environment where they are expected to act like adults - wake themselves, feed themselves, be generally responsible for themselves - and yet this environment still wants to tell them what to do in many ways. "Go to class, or you'll get into trouble." "No girls allowed in the boys dorm after 10pm, or you'll get into trouble." "No drinking until you're 21, even though we expect you to act as an adult in every other way, or you'll get into trouble." "Listen to us, or you'll get into trouble." Yeah, right.

So, when the government says the same types of things, why do we roll over and say, "well, ok"?

"Let us provide healthcare for everyone, and everyone will be ok." "Let us create jobs, and everyone will be ok." "Let us bail out the banks, the auto industry, and anyone else who needs help, and everyone will be ok." "Listen to us, and everyone will be ok."

Sure, there's a more positive spin on it... but since when did we become so trusting? Since when did we forget our history?!?

I just wish I could get off this topic... but I'm afraid I've got two more months of seeing parallels between typical adult behavior and what we're doing to ourselves now. I guess that should read nonparallels. *sigh* Maybe May will bring us that proverbial change we've been so desperate for. Maybe I'll stop seeing current events in my textbooks about adult learning, and maybe the government will see to it that everyone really will be ok. Well... at least one of those might happen. =)