Social Movements, the Gülen Movement, and Transformative Adult Education

Abstract

This chapter intends to familiarize the readers with the interrelationship between social movements and the social aspect of adult education, with a specific focus on transformative adult education, which constitutes a conducive platform where transformative social change occurs, within the context of social movements. The chapter starts with a general overview of social movements with a specific focus on Islamic social movements in Turkey. Following the discussion on the sociopolitical background that lays the ground for the emergence of the Gülen Movement and its educational perspectives, the first section ends with the presentation of criticisms against the Gülen Movement. Then, it turns to the transformative aspect of adult education in social movements. The chapter culminates with the conceptual framework used in the research.