Browsing by Author "Harley, Anne."

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Adult learning in a Bible study group: an Apostolic Faith Mission case study in the Bulwer rural area.
(2022) Zaca, Nondumiso Heather.; Harley, Anne.; Mbatha, Lynette Lulama.
The way in which adults learn the Bible depends on the approach that the church uses when it comes to Bible teachings. This study explored what keeps adults coming to Bible study group meetings, and what and how they learn from their involvement in the group. The study focused on the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) of Southern Africa in the Bulwer rural area within the Harry Gwala region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This study was located within the interpretative paradigm and used a qualitative approach. The data of the study was collected through the telephonic interviews with five participants who are active members of the AFM Bible study group in Bulwer. The study adopted Schugurensky's (2000) conceptual framework regarding the forms of informal learning and Wenger's (1998) communities of practice as its theoretical framework. The findings of the study indicate that adults joined the Bible study group to learn about God, because they are hungry for God’s Word. Members of the group believe that they learn to develop their spiritual being and to dwell in God’s Word. The data showed that the group assists its members to share information with each other, and that members believe that you cannot learn the Bible well by yourself – learning the Bible is better when you do it within a group of people. This is particularly so for the members who cannot read. Additionally, it was revealed that the leader of the group plays an important role in the group, particularly because he is responsible for reading the Bible to the group. The members feel happy coming to the Bible study meetings because they are all treated equally. The major recommendations arising from the study are that the AFM in Bulwer needs to carefully consider the scheduling of Bible study group meetings, as well as look at ways in which it can better support adults who are not literate. Keywords: Bible study group; Adult learning; Informal learning; Community of practice; Adult learner motivation
An exploration of the learners’ views on the efficacy of information communication technology in improving work performance : The case of KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health employees registered at a community learning centre in Durban.
(2024) Malinga, Charlotte Lungiswa.; Harley, Anne.; Mbatha, Lulama Nothando.
This study is situated in the context of adult education in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and is framed within the national policies of the Skills Development Act No. 31 of 2008 and the Human Resource Development Strategy of South Africa 2010-2030. These policies underscore the importance of providing continuous skills development and education opportunities for adults in the labour market, particularly emphasizing the need for basic education and training. The research focuses on evaluating the views of adult learners from the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal regarding the efficacy of the Information and Communication Technology Adult Basic Education and Training (INCT4) programme at a local Community Learning Centre. It examines how this programme impacts their work performance and personal lives. The study employs a qualitative research design within an interpretivist paradigm. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with employees who had participated in the INCT4 program. This methodological approach was aimed at understanding the learners' perspectives on the skills they acquired and their application in both professional and personal contexts. The findings indicate that learners value the skills gained from the INCT4 programme highly, noting improvements in their work performance and personal life management. These skills enhanced their confidence and self-esteem, enabling them to undertake new tasks and engage more effectively in their professional roles. While the application of these skills varied across different job roles, all learners noted personal benefits, such as increased ability to use digital platforms independently. The study underscores the significance of adult education as a form of lifelong and life-wide learning. It highlights the role of self-directed learning in adult education, drawing on Knowles's theory of andragogy and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The research contributes to the understanding of how adult education can facilitate individual and societal development and underscores the need for adult education programmes to be relevant and responsive to learners' needs. The study concludes with a call for further research into the involvement of adult learners in the planning and evaluation of educational programs and the effectiveness of various learning areas in Community Learning Centers (CLCs).
A critical analysis of government policy on appropriate rural vocational education and training in the light of the perceptions of youth in Mavalani Village, Limpopo.
(2013) Maluleke, Lucky.; Harley, Anne.
The aim of this study is to critically analyse government policy on appropriate rural vocational education and training in the light of perceptions of youth in Mavalani Village, Limpopo. The stance that I take in this study is that rural youth need to participate in education and training policy-making because they are the ones affected by these policies. I argue that meaningful policies are ones that are developed by people they are meant to serve. The literature review and theoretical framework indicate that neo-liberalism has negative impacts on VET internationally and in South Africa. Although there are social, political and cultural aspects in the education and training of South Africa, the economic aspects are more dominant. I use the theory of Food Sovereignty to counter neoliberalism which promotes the rights of business at the expense of people’s livelihoods and lives. Food Sovereignty is for the right of natural persons to own and control their own destinations, although it takes food production and distribution as the point of departure. This qualitative study is framed within a critical paradigm where I look at power relations in society and how people can strive to change their circumstances. I used purposive sampling where I selected participants based on my knowledge of the population in question. The findings of the study indicate that VET in South Africa needs to be improved to better serve the interests of young people. The findings suggest that there are a lot of changes that need to be made in VET in the country, and that Community Learning Centres need to offer VET that is community-based and relevant to local development and context. The findings are in line with the theory of Food Sovereignty in that they encourage community participation, collective action and communal ownership, as opposed to neo-liberal capitalism where private ownership is ‘the order of the day’.
Critical learning? an exploration of non-formal and informal learning in Freedom Park, Johannersburg.
(2018) Thusi, Zamalotshwa Florence Thembisile.; Harley, Anne.
The dawn of democracy and its failure to deliver on the promises made necessitated a different form of engaging with power as communities ceased to ‘accept as normal a world characterised by massive inequities and the systemic exploitation of the many by the few’ (Brookfield, 2005, p. 2). A plethora of interventions operating outside the former liberation movements and seen as a ‘new’ strategy for dealing with ‘new’ issues in post-democratic South Africa have emerged. One such intervention was the Community Literacy and Numeracy Group Project (CLING) ‘a participatory action research (PAR) project, which [was] a particular form of popular adult education’ (Čubajevaitě, 2015, p. 141). Documents related to the CLING project suggest that it was inspired by the work of Paulo Freire. This study focused on the CLING Project, specifically the adult education classes, in Freedom Park, a semi-informal settlement in Johannesburg. Framed within a critical paradigm, it examined the extent to which the Freedom Park CLING Project and the adult classes embraced a Freirean philosophy and methodology. It also considered the impact the CLING Project had on the ‘political’ classes which continued after the project closed. I used snowball sampling to access learners and facilitators that were part of the CLING Project, Abahlali baseFreedom Park (the community structure involved in development in the area), and community members involved in the political classes. Data were collected through a transect walk, photovoice, interviews, focus group discussion, and observation. The findings were that there is some evidence that the CLING Project was conceptualised by its founders as a Freirean intervention, and embraced Freirean philosophy at least to some degree; although it is less clear that the Freedom Park CLING facilitators understood this to be the case. However, there is little evidence that Freirean methodology was embraced either at a macro level, or in the adult education classes. There is also no evidence that the learners experienced the Freedom Park CLING Project adult classes as being Freirean. Finally, the data suggests that the political classes are non-formal, rather than informal; and evidence related to the level of ‘self-directedness’ of learning is conflicting.
An evaluation of the efficacy of stand-alone adult basic education material targeting women : The women's handbook.
(2006) Harley, Anne.;
This thesis evaluates a piece of educational printed material, The Women's Handbook. which was produced in the late 1990s as part of a joint project between the Midlands Women's Group (an NGO working around women's rights in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal), the Centre for Adult Education of the then University of Natal, and the national Commission on Gender Equality, a statutory body set up by the 1996 Constitution of South Africa. As a member of the Centre for Adult Education's staff I was integrally involved in the process of conceptualising and developing the Handbook, and was the overall co-ordinator of the project. As a result of the wide-spread changes in local government, as well as in development planning and processes, in the early 2000s the Centre and the Midlands Women's Group began considering the advisability of producing a revised edition. Although anecdotal evidence suggested that the Handbook had been widely used by the women to whom it had been distributed, it was decided that a thorough evaluation of the Handbook should be undertaken before any attempt was made to revise it. This thesis is a record of this evaluation. It begins with a theoretical exploration of what it means to evaluate an intervention, and uses this to argue that an evaluation of the Handbook requires a consideration of its theoretical underpinnings and of best practice in the field of materials development for adults with low levels of education, as well its use and impact. It then moves on to look at the Handbook in some detail, including the rationale for its development. The use and impact of the Handbook is then discussed, after which an attempt is made to identify the theoretical underpinnings of the Handbook. Best practice both in terms of product and process is discussed, and the Handbook compared to this. The concluding chapter then attempts to account for the findings. In its structure at least, then, this is not a 'typical' thesis. The review of pertinent literature, for example, is not contained in a single chapter, but rather dealt with within the appropriate chapter.
Exploring ‘valuable’ knowledge, skills and attitudes: perceptions of NEETs in an informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg
(2020) Gumbi, Patience Thandi.; Harley, Anne.; Harley, Anne.
Abstract available in PDF.
Knowledge production in/for action : a case study of Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement.
(2014) Ntseng, Bantoe David.; Harley, Anne.
Social movement struggles have generated an interest amongst theorists who want to contribute to the growing literature about organisations that organise and mobilise in recent years. Amongst these theorists are those who argue that most crucial in researching social movements is looking at learning and theorising within social movements. There is a debate about whether there is in fact any theorising within social movements, or rather external theorists present their own ideas about social movements. This study locates itself at the forefront of this debate with the intention to argue that social movements’ struggles are useful for understanding learning and theorising within social movements themselves. It uses existing theories of learning, in particular Communities of Practice theory, to argue that social movements theorise. The study uses Abahlali baseMjondolo, a social movement in Durban, South Africa, to engage with the question of learning in social movements. I conducted eight interviews with current and former members of Abahlali, looked at documents generated by the movement itself, and drew on my eight years’ experience of working closely with the movement. The study is located within a critical paradigm and is written within the Marxist theory of social movements, hence it sees Abahlali’s struggle as being about confronting systems of power. It is a struggle that rests on issues of equality, justice and social transformation where the rights of being human and rights to place and to a decent life take priority. Critically important is that this struggle is a school through which its members derive new meanings and power to engage their reality. The study shows that this struggle is not elite driven or externally manipulated but that organising and mobilising take place from the ground up. What is striking in this study is that Abahlali’s struggle is part of their practice of theorising. In their struggle, Abahlali have produced a phenomenon based on their lived experience and theoretical framing called Ubuhlalism. However, using the Community of Practice theory, the study presents significant shifts in Abahlali’s practice and theory-making processes over time.
Learning to be ‘Out of Order’: a life history of the Church land programme and the theoretical development of its praxis.
(2019) Phiri, Stephen.; Harley, Anne.
This thesis is driven by the view that we urgently need a more truly emancipatory African politics, beyond the politics of the state or the hegemonic politics of the powerful; and the potential role of ‘civil society’ in this needs to be explored. Using a Gramscian frame, the study focuses on the life history of the Church Land Programme (CLP), an NGO based in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. This organisation claims to have radically shifted its praxis from that of a conventional NGO to one which has adopted an emancipatory politics. In a document reflecting on why and how it underwent this shift, the CLP made specific reference to the thinking of Paulo Freire, and post-shift, it has made frequent reference to Frantz Fanon. This study seeks to understand why and how the organisation shifted its practice and how this relates to the work of these two emancipatory thinkers. It finally considers the implications of this for emancipatory politics in the current South African context. The study seeks to make three contributions. Firstly, it redresses the scarcity of work on the relationship between Fanon and Freire, despite the considerable recent interest in their individual thought and writings. Secondly, the study adopts a life history approach that is normally used to narrate and understand individual stories, to tell, and to understand, the story of an organisation. Thirdly, as the study confirms, CLP is a deeply reflective and self-critical organisation; however, it has not yet been subjected to outside scrutiny and the study thus provides an outsider’s view of the organisation and its shift. The findings reveal that for CLP emancipatory politics is a lived reality. CLP thought its emancipatory praxis into being through deep reflection on how it acts in the world, often with others. Rather than directly influencing CLP, Fanon and Freire (and others) resonate with this emancipatory thinking, and act as a resource. The study concludes that whilst civil society is a realm within which hegemony is created, as Gramsci argued, because emancipatory politics is of the order the order of thought, civil society organisations can act in emancipatory ways.
Learning to struggle in grassroots community organizations : the Clairwood Ratepayers and Residents Association.
(2012) Govender, Ragini.; Harley, Anne.
This study was motivated by my interest in what ordinary people, who have become involved in political, civic, environmental and other community organisations and taken up struggles in their communities, learn through this. I am specifically interested in how they learn through struggle in community-based grassroots organisations; and thus focused my study on Clairwood, where livelihood have been affected by the influx of trucks and environmental and industrial hazards, and people involved in the Clairwood Ratepayers and Residents’ Association (CRRA) who are struggling against this. I thus chose the critical paradigm as the most appropriate paradigm within which to locate my research, since I was interested in struggle and social change. In keeping with a critical paradigm, my study is qualitative in nature and the main data collection method was in-depth interviews, as I thought that it would be the most effective method to enable me to gather rich, qualitative data from my participants. The existing adult education literature on adult learning, especially in the social context, includes adult learning theory that looks at adults: who have significant experience of involvement in struggle: particularly of taking action; have experienced this collectively; and have presumably learned something from this experience. I chose experiential learning theory, and particularly the model of experiential learning theory as developed by Peter Jarvis, as the most useful in helping to understand the learning that takes place within the CRRA.
Microfinance for better lives?: learning experiences of women beneficiaries of the Inhlanyelo Fund in Manzini Region, Eswatini=Ukusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi ukuthuthukisa izimpilo? Ukufunda ngokwenza kwamalunga abesifazane eSikhwama Inhlanyelo esifundeni saseManzini, eSwazini.
(2022) Mahlalela-Dlamini, Khabonina Annastasia.; Preece, Julia.; Lyster, Elda Susan.; Harley, Anne.
Empowering women is a critical issue in developing countries such as Eswatini. Women's poverty is exacerbated by discrimination in the economic, social, and political spheres (Salia, Hussain, Tingbani, & Kolade, 2018), thus limiting their inner potential. Poverty in emerging economies is a major impediment for meeting the countries’ Sustainable Development Goals. There is evidence that interventions, such as microfinance schemes, can improve the lives of women, particularly rural women (Banerjee, 2017; Mayoux, 2002). Women's participation in informal sectors in developing countries could lead to economic growth and well-being. As key players in household welfare, microfinance supports self-employment, and alleviates poverty. Understanding women's microfinance experiences could improve microfinance interventions. The study explores how women beneficiaries of Eswatini’s Inhlanyelo Fund bettered their lives and gained learning experiences. There is limited information available on this topic. This investigation analyses what kind of microfinance intervention is most suitable for improving the lives of women and their families. The study is positioned within the interpretive paradigm, and adopts a qualitative design. The investigation was conducted with ten women in the Manzini regions of Eswatini. Data collection methods include semi-structured interviews, which make use of life histories and photovoice. The data were transcribed and analysed manually using pattern coding where themes emerged. The findings reveal that loan income from the Inhlanyelo Fund was used primarily for consumables, with little remaining for investment in the business. Using the theoretical lenses of Jarvis’ model of experiential learning and the African perspective of ubuntu, this study examines how the women’s learning evolved through access to the fund and led to their empowerment and “buen vivir”. The findings reveal that women learned in social networks through interaction with others, and this helped to transform their behaviour and changed their lives. The study concludes that the ubuntu theme of humanness and participation in the collective were contributory factors in the learning processes of the beneficiaries of Eswatini’s Inhlanyelo Fund. The study recommends that future training should take account of the importance of experiential learning and social networking in empowering women through microfinance schemes. Iqoqa: Ukuphakamisa abesifazane isimo esibucayi emazweni asathuthuka afana neSwatini. Ububha kwabesifazane sekwenyuke kakhulu ngokucwasa ezinhlakeni zezomnotho, emphakathini, kanye nakwezepolitiki (Salia, Hussain, Tingbani, & Kolade, 2018), nokwenza ukuthi banqindeke amandla abanawo ngaphakathi. Ububha eminothweni esakhula buwumkhawulo omkhulu ukuhlangabezana neziNhloso zokuGcineka kweNtuthuko zamazwe. Kunobufakazi bokuthi izimo zokuhlangabezana, ezifuze imibutho yokusebenzisa imali emazingeni aphansi, kungathuthukisa izimpilo zabesifazane, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni zasemaphandleni (Banerjee, 2017; Mayoux, 2002). Ukuzibandakanya kwabesifazane esikhungweni zomphakathi emazweni asathuthuka kungaholela ekuthuthukeni komnotho kanye nasempilweni engcono. Njengababambiqhaza abasemqoka ekunakekelweni kwamakhaya, ukusebenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi kwelekelela ukuziqasha, bese kwehlisa ububha. Ukuqonda ukusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi ngabesifazane kungathuthukisa izimo zokuhlangabezana nokusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi. Ucwaningo luphenya ukuthi ngabe abesifazane abangamalunga eSikhwama Eswatini Inhlanyelo bayazithuthukisa izimpilo zabo futhi bayawathola amathuba okufunda. Kunolwazi oluncane kulesi sihloko. Lolu phenyo luhlaziya ukuthi yiluphi uhlobo lokungenenela ekusetshenzisweni kwezimali emazingeni aphansi olukulungele kakhulu ukuthuthukisa izimpilo zabesifazane kanye nemindeni yabo. Ucwaningo lwesekelwe kuhlakamqondo lweparadaymu yomhumusho, futho usebenzisa uhlaka kwekhalithethivu. Uphenyo lwenziwa nabesifazane abayishumi ezifundeni zaseManzini zasEswatini. Izindlela zokuqoqa imininingo zibandakanya izingxoxo ezisakuhleleka, ezisebenzisa imilando yempilo kanye nemifanekisozwi. Imininingo yaqoshwa futhi yahlaziywa bukhoma ngokusebenzisa ukuhlahlela imininingo okuhlelekile lapho izindikimba zaqubuka. Imiphumela iveza ukuthi inzuzo yemalimboleko ephuma esikhwameni se-Inhlanyelo yasetshenzisa kakhulu ekudleni, bese kuthi encane isalele ukufakwa ebhizinisini. Ngokusebenzisa imodeli yenjulalwazi kaJarvis yokufunda ngokwenza kanye nokubuka kwama-Afrikha kobuntu, lolu cwaningo luhlola ukuthi ukufunda kwabesifazane kukhula kanjani ngokungena esikhwameni ukusifakela nokuholela ekuzithuthukiseni kanye ne-“buen vivir”. Imiphumela iveza ukuthi abesifazane babefunda ezinhlanganweni zomphakathi ngokuhlanganyela nabanye, futhi lokhu kwasiza ukuguqula indlela abenza ngayo izinto futhi kwaguqula nezimpilo zabo. Ucwaningo luphetha ngokuthi indikimba yobuntu yendlela yokuphila kwabantu kanye nokuzibandakanya enhlanganweni kwaba nomthelela omkhulu ezinqubeni zokufunda kumalungu eSikhwama i-Eswatini Inhlayelo. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi uqeqesho lwesikhathi esizayo kumele luqikelele ukubaluleka kokufunda ngokwenza kanye nokuhlanganyela komphakathi ukuthuthukisa abesifazane ezikhungweni zokusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi.
Narratives of motivation to learn and barriers to formal opportunities of female general assistants at a Durban school.
(2008) Du Preez, Jeanette.; Harley, Anne.
This interpretivist study looked at what acted as barriers and what motivated a group offive African women, aged about 30 working at a Durban school, to take up formal learning experiences. Qualitative data, through the use ofsemi structured interviews, on a one-to-one basis was collected. This involved elliciting each woman' account of her educational and work experience, as a learner and a worker. Themes like unemployment ofone or both parents; limitations imposed by the patriarchial culture they come from; gender issues like not valuing educating girls and the diverse role which women play in the lives of a family; domestic violence and abuse; adolescent pregnancy; previous learning experiences; fmancial limitations perpetuated in adult life because ofthe inability to access jobs which allow for the" luxury" ofpursuing educational courses and supporting extended family who live in the rural areas ofKwazulu-Natal or the Transkei surfaced. These themes were evaluated against the tenets ofMaslow's hierarchy ofneeds, Knowles's theory ofwhat comprises ideal adult learning situations; whether Mezirow's suggestion that learning will be precipitated by rethinking the ways people behave; and Tajfels' theory on personal and social identity. Using the perspectives offeminist writers like hooks, Hill Collins, and Magwaza this study looked at the role that culture, class and gender has played in the lives ofthese participants.
Supporting TVET students to improve English language competency : an action research study.
(2017) Nene, Joyce Duduzile.; Harley, Anne.
According to South African education policy, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges have a pivotal and strategic role to play in facilitating inclusive growth and development in society. However, whilst enrolment has increased, throughput rates continue to be low. One reason for this could be that subjects are taught in English, not the home language of most TVET students. Kolb’s Learning Styles theory suggests that each of us has a specific learning style – we tend to learn best in particular ways. Matching teaching methods to learning styles can thus improve learning outcomes. This study was conducted on the Estcourt campus of Mnambithi TVET College, in the midlands of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, where I teach an English First Additional Language intervention class. I hoped that by improving learners’ English, they could better cope with all their subjects. The key aim of the study was to match my teaching methods to their learning styles, and exploring the effects of this using action research. I first established the learning styles of my students, and then taught two rounds of classes in which I matched my teaching methods to their learning styles. Class evaluation, participant observation, semistructured interviews and focus group interviews were used to reflect on the effects of this. The study found no real correlation between students’ self-identified learning styles and their reflections on what helped them to learn. Rather, using methods that allowed students greater control over, and participation in, the learning process, and that allowed learners to engage collectively in learning, appears to be key. Findings also revealed the significance of listening to what students think about their learning experience in class and taking their feedback on what will work for them in the lessons. Findings also suggest that knowledge, content and skills that relate directly to students lives and experiences is most valued by them.
Supporting TVET students to improve English language competency: an action research study.
(2017) Nene, Joyce Duduzile.; Harley, Anne.
According to South African education policy, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges have a pivotal and strategic role to play in facilitating inclusive growth and development in society. However, whilst enrolment has increased, throughput rates continue to be low. One reason for this could be that subjects are taught in English, not the home language of most TVET students. Kolb’s Learning Styles theory suggests that each of us has a specific learning style – we tend to learn best in particular ways. Matching teaching methods to learning styles can thus improve learning outcomes. This study was conducted on the Estcourt campus of Mnambithi TVET College, in the midlands of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, where I teach an English First Additional Language intervention class. I hoped that by improving learners’ English, they could better cope with all their subjects. The key aim of the study was to match my teaching methods to their learning styles, and exploring the effects of this using action research. I first established the learning styles of my students, and then taught two rounds of classes in which I matched my teaching methods to their learning styles. Class evaluation, participant observation, semistructured interviews and focus group interviews were used to reflect on the effects of this. The study found no real correlation between students’ self-identified learning styles and their reflections on what helped them to learn. Rather, using methods that allowed students greater control over, and participation in, the learning process, and that allowed learners to engage collectively in learning, appears to be key. Findings also revealed the significance of listening to what students think about their learning experience in class and taking their feedback on what will work for them in the lessons. Findings also suggest that knowledge, content and skills that relate directly to students lives and experiences is most valued by them.
'Unlearning' hegemony : an exploration of the applicability of Alain Badiou's theory of the event to informal learning through an examination of the life histories of South African social movement activists.
(2012) Harley, Anne.; Rule, Peter Neville.
This thesis argues that it is both necessary and possible to change the world. Changing the world requires engaging with, to try to understand it from the basis of lived reality, and then acting. Our ability to do this is, however, affected by hegemony, which attempts to convince us that the way things are is either normal and natural and the only possible way they could be, or that it is impossible to change them. Nevertheless, there is always resistance to this, and I suggest that we might learn something useful by examining how this happens. The thesis thus explores Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, and its applicability to our current world; and also considers resistance to this. I argue that the nature of capitalism has shifted, and discuss how this shift has impacted on hegemony, identifying three current interlocking hegemonic ideologies. I consider current resistance to this hegemony, including the role of social movements. Much resistance, and many social movements, I argued, cannot properly be called counter-hegemonic in that, although it/they may critique the dominant economic system, it/they remain trapped within hegemonic logic. However, it is clear that there is existing truly counter-hegemonic resistance, including some social movements, and I argue that Abahlali baseMjondolo is one such counter-hegemonic movement. Thus it is possible that those who join/align themselves with this movement might be considered to have ‘unlearned’ hegemony and be useful subjects for this study. I thus consider the life stories of seven people who have aligned themselves to this movement, in order to determine whether they have indeed ‘unlearned’ hegemony, and if so, how. I discuss relevant and appropriate theory for examining this phenomenon, including experiential learning, transformative learning and Freirean emancipatory learning. I argue that whilst these theories of learning are helpful, they cannot entirely account for unlearning. I then turn to the theory of the event of Alain Badiou as a possible complementary or alternative way into thinking about unlearning. I apply both the learning theories and Badiou’s theory of the event to the stories, all of which show strong evidence of unlearning,, and consider how useful the theories are in understanding this. I conclude that all of the theories help to some extent in understanding the unlearning in stories. There are, however, fundamental differences between the learning theories on the one hand and Badiou’s theory on the other. I construct a model showing that the basis of the difference between the adult learning theories and Badiou’s theory of the event rests on the locus of the trigger for transformation. I argue that Badiou’s theory provides a very useful additional perspective to adult learning theory; but that it cannot be considered to have replaced existing theories in understanding how people learn informally to think and act in counter-hegemonic ways.