The beliefs of Violet McNaughton : adult educator 1909-1929

• Main Author: Steer, Sheilagh L.
• Other Authors: Lyons, John
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: University of Saskatchewan 2008
• Online Access: http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-09172008-103031/

This study explores the beliefs of Violet McNaughton as they influenced and were evidenced in her work of organizing and educating in Western Canada during the years 1909-1929. It investigates the political, cultural, and social milieu in which she lived and worked, particularly the progressive reform movement which rose and fell in Canada during the first three decades of the twentieth century.<p> The study examines her belief in education, her belief in the equality of women, and her belief in the need for a society based on the principles of co-operation. It explores many of the ways in which McNaughton expressed her beliefs in her work throughout these years in such activities as: organizing the Women's Section of the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association, instigating the formation of the Provincial Equal Franchise Board, organizing the Women's Section of the Canadian Council of Agriculture, working for the Progressive Party in Saskatchewan, promoting the study of peace in western Canada, and writing for the <u>Saturday Press and Prairie Farm</u> and the<u> Western Producer</u>.<p> The study concludes that McNaughton's implicit belief in the ability of adult education to improve the society in which she lived provided the foundation upon which her philosophy was built and was the driving force behind her work. Although the focus of her educational activities shifted from organizing and educating in agrarian and women's organizations to educating through her journalistic work, her belief in education and its importance in her philosophy remained constant.