The Last Farmer-the Transition Adult Learning Brings To A Farmer's Life Realm

This study adopts the relevant theory of the social mobility and continuing socialization as the academic perspective, bases on the living narration of a rural adult, employs the qualitative research method to study on the individual and social meaning of the adult learning, and to reveal the historical mission and Zeitgeist of adult education. This research tries to understand this era and society by a person's living experience, which also helps us to disclose the destiny of this era and society.China is experiencing the most severe change in the history, which is the transition from agricultural culture to industrial culture. In this historical transformation, farmers' stratum is suffering the most severe spiritual torment, and also is the most inadaptable group. How do the farmers to survive in the industrial society?Mr. Ye who is studied in this research was an ordinary farmer before. He wanted to change his farmer identity, so he learned skills from others. He wanted to live in the city, to be a civil servant, to lead the villagers to lire a better life, thus he joined in the adult learning. His every progress relies on the most typical virtue of the farmer, which is diligence and conscience, and this is a learning and educational process itself. The reason why he has this kind of life experience is the opportunity that the society and era give the Chinese farmer, and it is also the transformation of the Chinese farmer's virtue, namely the historical transformation of the farmer's personality, from the small farmer to the contemporary citizen. Learning and education have become the survival and cultural virtue which change most profoundly during the transformation of destiny of the country and individual.Mr. Ye has the last virtue of farmers, and also has some virtue of contemporary citizens, which is the spirit of being good at learning and adapting to the social change. Mr. Ye is a good example of adult learning, and he is a good model of changing his own destiny by adult learning. Meanwhile, he is a guide of the author to study on the adult education deeply.