NCJ Number
101811
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1986) Pages: 86-91
Date Published
1985
Length
7 pages
Annotation
After describing the paradigm processes identified by Thomas Kuhn, this article applies the paradigm concept to correctional education (CE) in the United States and Canada.
Abstract
Kuhn identified cyclical social processes that maintain an integrated set of ideas in equilibrium (the reigning paradigm), challenge that equilibrium by posing ideas the paradigm cannot solve (anomalies), and disrupt the equilibrium (chaos). New paradigms are formed to address the anomalies unresolved under the previous paradigm. The first accepted professionwide CE paradigm in the United States was adult education. In 1931, Austin MacCormick advocated an adult education approach which addressed individualized and group instruction in a format reflective of basic academic, vocational, secondary, and social education. MacCormick also advocated the diagnostic prescriptive aspect of special education. During subsequent decades, the adult education paradigm has been used to solve CE problems. The Canadian CE paradigm has five major elements: cognitive instruction, participatory decisionmaking, Kohlberg's moral education, Samenow and Yochelson's theory of criminal personality, and an emphasis on the humanities. Both nations have CE problems unresolved by their paradigms. A new North American CE paradigm could combine exemplary theories and program elements from the U.S. and Canadian paradigms. 15 references.