Cult TV, hip hop, shape-shifters, and vampire slayers: A review of the literature at the intersection of adult education and popular culture

In this article, we examine adult education literature as it relates to all aspects of popular culture. After an extensive literature review we found that, increasingly, adult educators are investigating popular culture's connection with adult education and learning; however, we argue that much more work needs to be done in this area, specifically with regard to what and how adults are learning from popular culture. The research revealed that the adult education literature in this broad area has focused on six areas of research and practice: (a) representations of adult learning and adult development in popular media, (b) self-reflexive practices of adult educators who consume popular culture, (c) effective classroom practices involving the popular, (d) analyses of popular culture products and processes as adult education curriculum, (e) the impact of adults' learning from popular culture, and (f) community-based gpopular culture as resistance. This article explores the literature in each of these six areas of inquiry.