Learning happens informally and incidentally in social struggle, yet it has not been the focus of many studies. When critical adult education scholars research the role of learning and education in transforming society, their analysis is centred on the role of capitalism, or the role of civil society. Critical adult education theory is caught in a debate between radical pluralist and socialist traditions---traditions that guide the role of education and educators in transforming society. Addressing this polemic, I draw on antiracist feminist scholarship to propose an analytical framework that takes into consideration the interdependence of systems of domination; namely, white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism. / In this study, I focus on young female activists' experiences and learning in social struggle. I rely on interviews and a participatory research project conducted with a group of young facilitators working with girls in an elementary school. The role of oppression and domination in social movements and in emancipatory projects is explored. Learning is found to be situated in particular historical contexts and to be influenced by underlying social dynamics inherent to social struggle. It is also found to be contradictory---it both inhibits and fosters change. / This study is my praxis. It is a back and forth between grassroots practice and research. It engages activists in thinking critically about their actions and uses various written texts to reflect their stories back to them, and to broader audiences. In the tradition of feminist and participatory research, I use this study as a catalyst for learning and for transforming practice.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 280-301). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000. / UMI number: 9996850. Includes bibliographical references (p. 361-394).

Thesis (Revise). / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 2002. Graduate Programme in Political Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 280-301). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ82823.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [424]-437).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000. / UMI number: 9996850. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 361-394).

There has been a grassroots revival of craftivism leading up to, and following the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This qualitative dissertation explores the experiences of women within three craftivist groups to facilitate a deeper understanding of their conceptions of craft, activism and feminism, the salience of older women within these communities, and how the affordances of new media are potentially reshaping craftivism. Drawing on interview data, as well as offline and online participant observation, this study found that craftivists have highly diverse personal trajectories and understandings of feminism and activism, that older women—many with a lifelong history of activism—play a significant role in craftivist groups, and that participation in craftivism, supported through extensive use of social media and online communication, provides a gateway to civic expression and engagement. Beyond deepening our understanding of craftivism in the current political climate, this research makes significant contributions to scholarship on participatory culture, activism, and civic engagement. While these bodies of research have traditionally been youth-centric, this dissertation adds value by shedding light on the participatory practices of older women in creative online sites.