Perhaps what I enjoyed most about the article was the sense of collaboration between the women who were part of the experimental curriculum. They had all, in some form, dealt with the societal and cultural factors that demarcate the roles between men and women, in particularly those within a marriage. Having a relevant topic as the foundation for discussions and assignments, generated an interest that allowed for their linguistic growth.
Their group discussions prompted new ideas that connected to their lives within a social context, in similar fashion to Freire's work.
The instructor guided them through the process of transformative learning and presented them with challenging material that resulted in a more analytical approach for reasoning. This was evident in the evolution of their writing from succinct and personal to exceedingly more developed and concrete. They had become truly empowered through literacy. This empowerment led to a desire for change - there is Freire's theory coming to light again - and thus the "Open Letter to Bahamian Men" was created. The letter accentuated the womens concerns and struggles in relation to Bahamian mens disregard for continual loving and respectful behaviors within the marriage. It presented the effect these behaviors have on family structure and provides reccomendations for improvement.
The success of the curriculum highlights how beneficial shaping a curricuum that responds to student's lives can be.
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