Educating disaffected adult learners: re-engaging the homeless through tertiary level humanities studies

This paper reports on a pilot project investigating the effectiveness of an innovative education program in reengaging homeless people in inner city Sydney. Homelessness has become an entrenched feature of many western societies. Homeless people are in danger of becoming disengaged and alienated from mainstream society, slipping into a culture of dependence, poverty and social exclusion. It was hypothesised that an education in the humanities would provide an opportunity for such marginalised and disaffected people to think and reflect on the world in which they live. They would therefore be less likely to simply react to contexts and events and more likely to examine, question and contemplate. Such an education is very different from the many 'life skills' or 'vocational' courses available to welfare recipients. In this project, university level humanities courses with appropriately qualified teachers and lecturers were offered within a community, rather than an academic, setting. Participants were recruited through collaboration with a large, established, community agency, which provides a number of services for local homeless people. Thus this research also contributes to an understanding of how interorganisational capacities can be developed to address social justice issues.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

Volumes of papers are indexed at TD/TNC 90.212 and TD/TNC 90.213. Selected individual papers are indexed from TD/TNC 90.214 to TD/TNC 90.264.

This paper reports on a pilot project investigating the effectiveness of an innovative education program in reengaging homeless people in inner city Sydney. Homelessness has become an entrenched feature of many western societies. Homeless people are in danger of becoming disengaged and alienated from mainstream society, slipping into a culture of dependence, poverty and social exclusion. It was hypothesised that an education in the humanities would provide an opportunity for such marginalised and disaffected people to think and reflect on the world in which they live. They would ...  [+] Show more