Friedberg 2001 analysis and research findings

¶ … limits to behavioral freedom for an adult educator within an organization?

When an adult educator must work within the confines of a specific organization, there are naturally going to be limits on what that person can do from a behavioral standpoint. Some of these also extend out to the community, as people who are in charge of others, especially in the education field, often find that they are held to a higher standard than the people who are not in charge of other individuals in that same type of way. There is a lot of bureaucracy in many organizations, and when this is the case it is often difficult for a person to 'be themselves.' He or she has to limit things like the type of language that might be used, religious beliefs, and other things that a person holds a strong opinion on. These things can sometimes be talked about more freely with adults in an educational setting than with children, but there are still rules that have to be followed, and those rules are designed by the individuals who work to make up the whole of the bureaucracy.

Personality is important and it can help a teacher connect with students, no matter what their ages are. Despite this, though, there are still important safeguards that most institutions have put in place. Those who teach are often limited in what they can say, the opinions that they can publicly express, what they can talk about, and how they can dress when they come to teach their classes. These might not seem like much, but they do begin to add up, and they can lead to stress and strain that would otherwise not be there for someone who is teaching adult learners. Within an organization, though, it becomes very necessary to follow the rules so that the organization as a whole can function normally. Being part of that organization means giving up being an individual to some extent during the time that you represent that organization.

2.What might be the implications of not recognizing or ignoring these limits?

The rules that most institutions have are simple things, really, but they can become very restrictive and inhibit the growth of the person as a human being and as a teacher. This is only one of the implications that individuals are facing when it comes to these kinds of limits. Some people choose to ignore the limits that are placed on them if they feel that those limits are too restrictive. Others do not even recognize the limits that are placed on them and feel as though the limit-placer has no right to do so in the first place. Despite these things, however, it usually does not end well from an organizational standpoint for people who continue to 'break the rules.' Being fired is one of the implications of ignoring limits, and getting into trouble with the law can also be an implication of this. Usually people either leave of their own accord or are brought into line before any of this takes place, but that's not always the case.