JASFT-Abstract

Transformative learning for sustainability to climate adaptation in a suburban community in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Le Thi Hong Phuong and  Tran Duc Tuan

 

Full Length Research Paper  I Published October,2018

 

Journal of Agricultural Science and Food Technology  Vol. 4 (8), pp.155-164.

 

ABSTRACT

 

The study aims to explore the learning process that drives the adoption of techniques and practices for adaptation to climate change (CC) in My Khanh community, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. This community was selected to conduct the study as it represents the entire nexus of CC-water-food-energy-social justice and provides insights into the challenges of transformative learning for sustainability in the Mekong Delta. Transformative learning for sustainability was used to understand the learning process through instrumental and emancipatory learning. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews, focus workshop discussion, and structured interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze instrumental and emancipatory learning as various adaptation practices and motivating reasons being adopted by farmers. The findings showed all farmers learned instrumentally to some degree:  the changes in knowledge and awareness of CC, the effects of a sense of urgency about CC and adaptation, the changes in actions to the effective application of adaptation practices, and the changes in social and economic knowledge. Emancipatory learning was implemented by creating networks and learning interactions. There were several rounds to set up the emancipatory learning among individuals in the community and they were mainly involved to understand values and reasons for locally changing practices.


Key Words: Adaptation, learning, climate change, agriculture, Vietnam, transformative learning theory.

 

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