| Abstract: | This article examines adult education policy in two settings. The cases of Mexico and Nicaragua illustrate how the goals, content, methods, and outcomes of adult education differ according to state policy. Mexico (1970-1990) represents a "corporatist" state that undertook an incrementalist approach to literacy provision for purposes of political legitimation and social integration, while Nicaragua (1979-1990) represents a "revolutionary state" that pursued a structuralist approach to achieve fundamental changes in education and society. Despite their contrasting orientations, these two countries share many characteristics typical of dependent capitalist states in Latin America. |
