The place and influence of community education in people's lives : a study of Open University students in Glasgow's areas of multiple deprivation

摘要

Ibis thesis begins by examining various philosophies and modelsapplied to social problems and community education. Policy analysisis carried out on Strathclyde Regional Council's social strategy andthe Open University Community Education programme, and on theuse of OU courses as a component of the social strategy.The research is concerned with students who took these courses inGlasgow's areas of multiple deprivation during the recent economicrecession. It examines who participates and who benefits. andconsiders the place and influence of the courses in students' livesand in their communities. It recognises that students' personalcharacteristics and circumsiances have been and are affected bylocal services and facilities and by wider socioeconomic events andchanges, and explores what influence community education has inthe context of such opportunities and constraints.A life history approach is adopted which enables the activities andevents in students' lives to be analysed into various careers -education, marital. childcare. employment, health, community andsocial: and to be represented as parallel lifelines. A longitudinalanalysis shows that students' reactions to the courses are influencedby the stage they are at in each of these careers. This is followed bya systemic analysis focussing on the changes across all areas of theirlives around the time of the courses and afterwards. These appearrelated to their social and economic instability Ue. maritalbreakdown or husbands' unemployment) and those with moreinstability have and make more changes and find the courses morehelpful. 7be courses benefit those who are most disadvantaged inline with the objectives of the social strategy. A resource basedmodel is proposed which attempts to explain why those with leastresources have more changes in their lives and receive more helpfrom the courses.