Here is a collection for twenty-first century challenges! One practical philosopher and seven experienced adult educators dig into their driving values, the existing literature, and frank narratives of direct experience to illuminate key lessons in being one's own applied ethicist. In explaining their decision-making and confronting their unease and doubts, the authors emerge as self-aware, context-aware, principled practitioners. But they are not immune to the problems encountered in the intellectual and interpersonal complexities of ethical analysis. Acknowledging the challenges in moving beyond such reductionist analyses as "right versus wrong," the authors look for negotiated possibilities of "rightness." Negotiation, reflection, and power emerge as three key themes of the reflective chapters. Readers should consider the various thinking strategies offered, in particular the strategy of "sinning bravely." Additional critical thinking about conflicts that hide int he background of our work ought to help unearth some hegemonic uses of concepts such as fairness and justice.
This is the 123rd volume of the Jossey-Bass higher education quarterly report series New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Noted for its depth of coverage, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education is an indispensable series that explores issues of common interest to instructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in a broad range of adult and continuing education settings, such as colleges and universities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, and museums. Feel encouraged, feel strong, feel connected as you compare your own issues and thinking with the authors' experience and guidance. The reading journey of this volume will bring you closer to possibilities for more good work in the tough conditions of twenty-first century adult education.
Author Biography
Elizabeth J. Burge is the author of Negotiating Ethical Practice in Adult Education: New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, Number 123, published by Wiley.
