成人教育におけるセルフ・ヘルプ活動の役割

—米国の「祖父母の会」に着目して—

抄録

This paper aims to demonstrate benefits of introducing "self-help" activities into the practices of adult education. "Self-help" in this paper refers to a special form of interdependence in which the individual accepts self-responsibility within a mutual aid context.

Self-help activities vary in their own goals, organizational structures and phases of development. Contemporary type of self-help activities have developed in organized and systematic ways in the United States since 1930s. They now have extended their scope to people’s emotional dimensions, helping people cope with emotional difficulties in autonomous and independent fashion. Among various types of self-help activities, this paper will focus on ones which aim to encourage grandparents who are obliged to assume full responsibilities of raising their grandchildren. Finding themselves taking this unexpected role, most grandparents are confronted with social disadvantages as well as multiple stressors.

This paper consists of the following parts. Firstly, the author will describe the rationale and some of the societal factors that are contributing to the development of a certain self-help group called "GAP"(Grandparents As Parents). GAP was established in 1987 as a grass-root activity led by ordinary citizen. In cooperation with non-profit organizations, it now provides grandparents raising their grandchildren with emotional and informational support throughout the nation.

Secondly, the author will clarify how self-help methodology is interpreted in the field of adult education by means of examining historical development of this type of activity.

Finally, in concluding this paper, the author will point out such self-help endeavors expand informal helping resources for people coping with various problems. Furthermore they also have implications for the enrichment of establishing multifaceted support networks for satisfying the diverse learning needs of ordinary adult citizens.