RENAISSANCE OF THE COMMON SENSE: Toward a Dialectical Understanding of Consumer Culture, Globalized Capitalism and Adult Learning Processes

Abstract

Cultural ways of learning and knowledge construction were, historically, traditionally,

social processes moving within and between families and communities. Negotiation,

sharing and cooperation were (and are) key aspects of communal life and, as community

tools, they are currently undervalued much to the detriment of the natural environment

and civil society. Consumerism and globalized capitalism undermine cultural ways of

knowing leading to deepening crises in both nature and community. Adult educators

should aid in the development of a cultural framework that nurtures everyday learning

processes and fosters an understanding of ecological interconnectedness. Meeting this

tremendous challenge is a vital step in achieving a sustainable balance for civil society

and the broader ecology.