Adult education and the challenge of online hate

Thomas, T., & McGray, R. (2015). Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education (CASAE), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.  

Abstract  

This paper attempts to trace possible connections between adult education and strategies for addressing instances of hate – specifically as they happen in online and social media contexts. While there is a gap in the literature addressing the connection, recent high profile cases of online hate raise the question: how can pedagogical approaches address the phenomenon? In this paper, we examine the ways in which community and adult educators can use social media to promote healthy communication and to foster powerful learning spaces when addressing contentious social issues in community settings. Basing our work on influential models of adult learning program design, we explore strategies for using technology in, and with, community meetings, town-hall discussions, and public forums. 

Thomas_McGray_2015_The challenge of online hate