| Chapter 2: | Review of Relevant Literature |
Foley used three dimensions to develop his theoretical framework and a “broad conception” of education and learning. He looked at the “struggle” between education and learning, as well as “an analytical framework which enables connections to be made between learning and education on the one hand and analysis of political economy, micro-politics, ideologies and discourses on the other.” Foley’s entire premise is based upon his perceived “need” to “break out of the strait-jacket that identifies adult education and learning with institutionalized provision and course-taking” (p. 6).
According to Foley, his major interest was how people learn in what he called “emancipatory struggle. Because I look for them, I see such struggles and learning everywhere, not only where one might expect to find them, in popular movements and social action, but also in workplaces (including educational institutions) and families” (p. 11).
Throughout his book, Foley argued that popular struggles and movements have a little-studied educative element, “which when examined yields insights into the dynamics and effects of social learning activity. Foley concluded by stating that understanding what has been learned in these struggles, both past and present, is essential “to the development of a truly emancipatory education and politics in our time” (p. 143).
Entertainment-Education Theory and Media Agenda-setting
In her book, Soap Operas for Social Change, Heidi Nariman, the International Information Manager at Televisa, S.A. de C.V. in Mexico City, detailed the theoretical and empirical methodology that undergirds an entertainment-education campaign. She shows how this strategy actually worked out in Mexico. Overall, as the author points out in the preface, her work links “communication and behavioral theory as related to the actual design and production of a communication campaign” (Nariman, 1993, p. xv).
Nariman defined what an entertainment-education soap opera is, while defining its theoretical components and then described how to successfully assemble an entertainment-education soap opera based upon initial research findings. Finally, she demonstrated how to build on Mexico’s experience with entertainment-education soap operas.