Abstract
Communities of practice are characterized by an ability to generate social or cultural capital, not necessarily through formal educational provision but through informal learning, individual transformation, and cultural change arising from the collective involvement of like-minded people in a process, association, organization, or event, often based in practice. The associated theory of situated learning also suggests that for adults learning mainly occurs by situations, not subjects, and usually associated with social interaction. In this chapter I explore these notions in the context of a community of practice identified with a Waldorf School for Rudolf Steiner Education, which provided a case study for researching and analyzing the extent to which adults as parents engage in informal, social, and transformative learning. I conclude that the role of active parenting as a vocation and as legitimate work is enhanced and informed by involvement in a school that is defined by a specific educational philosophy which, inter alia, encourages the development of a learning community.
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Stehlik, T. (2009). Waldorf Schools as Communities of Practice for AVE and Social Sustainability. In: Willis, P., Mckenzie, S., Harris, R. (eds) Rethinking Work and Learning. Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8964-0_19
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