Chapter 1: The Critical Literacies Advancement Model (CLAM) as a Tool for Curriculum Development: Advancing Human Rights Literacy in Adult Education

In our rapidly changing society, various factors (mores, values, economics, technology, politics, terrorism, globalization) frame the context of our educational structures and systems, including adult education. As Manley (1974) pointed out, “every educational system in history has reflected the interpretation placed by each society upon its own needs” (p. 140). These contextual and influential factors also affect how, when, why, and where adults learn because “the nature of society at any particular point in time determines the relative emphasis placed on adult learning” (Merriam et al., 2007, p. 5). Therefore, sociocultural factors inform the curriculum content and influence the setting within which education and learning will occur; these factors also drive the motivations for learning.