Learning in the Kaz Mountains Environmental Social Movement

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore adults’ reasons for participating in the Kaz Mountains Environmental Social Movement, learning experiences of them in the movement and sources of these experiences, and changes that occur on adults due to participating in the movement. The sample of the study is formed through 16 people who have participated in the Kaz Mountains Environmental Social Movement. While three of these sixteen people are selected from among activists in the movement through the eligibility and purposefully, and other thirteen people are selected from among the villager participants of the movement again purposefully. To collect data, the semi-structured interview form is developed by the researcher and it is implemented in three different villages in the April, 2008. The findings that are carried as a result of the analysis of interviews and informal observations of the researcher are represented, after they are grouped under the main and sub headings in terms of the aims of the study. As a result of the study it is founded that Kaz Mountains Environmental Social Movement has provided the chance of accessing the knowledge and has prepared the way of it to the villagers who are in low educational level and in the lower income brackets and so where they are one of preferential part of the society in providing adult education activities. Furthermore it is founded that activists in the movement also gained learning experiences in many different topics through different activities It is emerged that learning experiences due to participating in the movement are focused on the effects of gold mining, which is attempted to operate, on peoples’ environment and environmental pollution. Furthermore, adults have realized learning experiences related to the mining law and the olive law, effects of continuing of prospecting gold and operating gold mining on income level of the people, and other social movements. It is founded that, information meetings in the village and television programmes have been main learning sources in the movement where participants also have learned through demonstrations, panels, newspapers, visiting the other regions, and informal conversations among themselves. Besides the learning experiences there have been some changes on participants both personally and interpersonally in the movement. The findings of development of self-confidence of the participants, increasing in sensitiveness to environment and nature, changes in thoughts about the other social movements and struggles, and new relationships with new people are emerged in the context of personal changes. Furthermore, the findings on the base of changes in interpersonal relations are grouped under the titles of general changes and changes in gender relations. In the light of the findings of the study, it can be expressed that, in the case of Kaz Mountains Social Movement, social movements provide wide space in the context of acquiring learning experiences and positive changes on participants. This space also encloses elements which question adult education policies in the hegemony of the neoliberalizm that have tried to fully attach adult learnings to market oriented issues.