Geography of Heart: Home and Belonging in the light of Adult and Community Education

…‘I am comforted by the knowledge that I could die here. This is the way I imagine the end’ claims hooks (2009, p. 6) who has been the main inspiration for this personally professional academic journey in search of home and a sense of true belonging in the context of adult and community education. Being an adult educator myself, it made sense to use adult education as the setting for my research; however, firstly, adult education is concerned with issues of belonging – particularly regarding community education which offers an opportunity to look at claims of whether it encourages grounding-as-belonging or inspires mobility. Therefore, linking personal with professional, employing qualitative research with elements of an autoethnographic approach and semi-structured interviews, the data has been collected, the findings have been derived and compared in relation to reviewed literature and the most significant discoveries have been summarised: although finding or creating home – our final destination - can take a lifetime or just a glimpse of a moment, there is no single definition when it comes to describing it. The concept is perceived individually and uniquely by everyone and can consist of many elements: people, places, familiarity, feelings and a sense of ownership. Alternatively, the notion of self-acceptance and finding home within yourself is a significant factor in the journey of happiness and contentment. Furthermore, comparing the notions of home and belonging, it is evident that two ideas interconnect but also vary at the same time. While the thought of home may incorporate a number of essential elements, the fluid concept of belonging revolves around aspects of family or community. Finally, the multi-dimensional nature of adult and community education plays a role which can be liberating, grounding or even both at the same time, where liberating is perceived deeper than just an act of physical freedom and grounding revolves around a number of positive ideas such as a sense of purpose, security, self-love and belonging.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

National University of Ireland Maynooth

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Monstvilaite, Viktorija

Language dc:language

en