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Education for Freedom? “Living Room Learning” and the Liberal Arts of Government

This article provokes critical reflection about the role of adult educators in contemporary processes of social control. It does so through presenting an empirical case study of an important liberal adult education program (Living Room Learning) and through introducing the work of British sociologist, Nikolas Rose. Rose’s provocative ideas about the evolution of power and oppression, and his seemingly paradoxical conceptualization of freedom as a strategy and technique of government, have influenced diverse fields of scholarly activity. This article contributes both to the history of adult education in North America and to the understanding of the contemporary place of adult education within the liberal arts of government. It raises important questions regarding the relationship between adult education, power, and social control, and it encourages scholars of adult education to examine their field more critically.