Perspective Transformation and Adult Development

Abstract

The way Mezirow (1991a) links the concept of perspective transformation to the process of adult development illustrates a pervasive tension in his work. On the one hand, Mezirow has been credited with highlighting the social dimension of adult learning and education; on the other hand, his theory has been criticised for lacking a social critique: he theorises the individual side of the individual-social dialectic at the expense of the social side. These criticisms, however flawed, do have some sub-stance when applied to Mezirow's views of how adult development relates to perspective transformation. Specifically, Mezirow does not sufficiently explore the social origins of the life course, which leads him to consider examples of normative psychological development as instances of perspective transformation. Perspective transformation is best conceived as a developmental shift (a new world view) rather than simply developmental progress in a taken-for-granted world.

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