Radical Adult Learning From Below: The Learning Processes of Direct Action Animal Activists

This talk was recorded at the Institute for Critical Animal Studies Oceania 2017 Conference in Melbourne. You can find out more information about this conference here: [http://www.criticalanimalstudies.org/oceania-conference](http://www.criticalanimalstudies.org/oceania-conference)/

You can listen to other talks from this conference here.

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Talks recorded by Progressive Podcast Australia and Vegan Sci podcast. You can also listen to a recap of the conference on episode 179 of Progressive Podcast Australia.

Below is further information about the talk from the conference booklet, available here: [http://www.criticalanimalstudies.org/booklet](http://www.criticalanimalstudies.org/booklet)/

Radical Adult Learning From Below: The Learning Processes of Direct Action Animal Activists

LARA DREW

This presentation explores my doctoral research which examined the learning processes of animal activists in Australia as they engaged in direct action activism and disrupted and

protested the institutional exploitation of nonhuman animals. Direct action plays a key role in social movements making it crucial to examine the learning processes of animal activists in these settings. The research design was informed by a narrative inquiry process through a series of in-depth dialogical interviews. By using radical adult education and embodied

learning theories, the learning processes of animal activists were multi-faceted. They were learning on the move and run while immersed in risky modes of action. ‘Being an organiser’ was an intrinsic part of the learning processes with the diverse organising ‘styles’ arising from prefigurative, ideological and practical learning environments. Embodied learning processes were attached to affect, emotions, feelings, the physical body and the nonhuman animals themselves. After the array of learning processes was conceptualised as a whole, a ‘witness–feel–think–analyse–learn’ process became visible. As the animal activists rejected dominant cultural ideologies and actioned their concern for nonhuman animals through ‘law breaking’, ethical and moral dilemmas were amplified in practice. Hence, transgressive learning

processes were dominant. The analysis showed that through transgressive and witness-feel-think-analyse processes a radicalised consciousness was deepened, expanded and reinforced. The presentation will present key aspects of the research to extend understanding of the animal activists learning processes in a direct action setting and has to potential to inform the animal liberation movement as it works towards radical social change for both humans and nonhuman animals.

Lara Drew has recently submitted her PhD at the University of Canberra (Australia)         in Adult Education. Lara’s other research and writing interests include radical adult education, anarchism, feminism and the body and anti-capitalist positions. Lara is a                project director for the Oceania Institute for Critical Animal Studies chapter, on the   executive board for the Institute for Critical Animal Studies, co-runs and co-writes for    Veganarchy and participates in various grassroots campaigns for animal liberation.