Autum Krupinski

Stefan Britt
English 111
24 September 2014
Title
Not everyone knows what frame of reference, habits of mind or point of view
means. In Jack Mezirow's article, "Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice," he
speaks about about these subjects and how they affect people, their learning and how they
can even effect someone's every day life. Some good information, along with some
arguements were found looking deeper into his article.
It is important to first know what frame of reference means to Mezirow. He
delcares, "[f]rames of reference are the structures of assumputions through which we
understand our experiences" (Mezirow 268).
According to Mezirow, because of frame of reference, "[w]e have a strong
tendency to reject ideas that fail to fit our preconseptions, labeling those ideas as
unworthy of concideration-aberrations, nonsense, irrelevent, weird or mistaken" (268).
This is not entirely true. Not everyone is as closed minded this day and age. Most people
now of days are open minded to new ideas. People are more willing to try new ideas if
they think it will help them farther their education, increase income, help their bussiness
or even just if it will help them in their everyday life. For example, someone may be
having a hard time learning in school. If another student shows them a way to study and

help them learn, they are not going to reguard it as nonsense or them as wierd.
In his article, Mezirow, believes frame of reference influences habits of mind.
"Habits of mind are broad, abstract, orienting, habitual ways of think, feeling, and acting
influences by assumptions that constitue a set of codes... Habits of mind become
articulated in a specific point of view-the constellation of belief, value judgement,
attitude, and feeling that shapes a particualr interpretation" (Mezirow 260, 261). While it
is true learning thru repetion is human nature, it does not define how they will react to
every circumstance. People have learned that every situation requires a different reaction.
A student may get upset at the teacher for a bad score on a test, but the student could
learn from the reaction of the teacher and change how they handle bad scores and how to
improve them.
Mezirow gives a different example for habit of mind. Mezirow stated, "[a]n
example of a habit of mind is ethnocentrism, the predisposition to regard others outside
group as inferior" (269). This is not completely true anymore. Just because someone is
more familiar and comfortable with one belief does not mean they are against others or
look down on them for having a belief different than their own. Most people, not all,
accept others for who they are and what they believe. Even if they do not feel the same.
It is astonishing how at one point in his article, Mezirow conterdicted himself.
According to Mezirow, "[w]e learn together by analyzing the related experiences of
others to arrive at a common understanding that holds until new evidence or arguements
present themselves" (269). This statement alone says that people can change their way of
thinking and use co-existance to benifit themselves.
One thing agreeable with Mezirow is his idea of point of view. Mezirow said,

"Point of view are subject to continuing change as we reflect on either the content or
process to enhance efficancy in improving performance" (269). People are always
deciding wether or not something is benifical, harmful or if it will improve things around
them. If it is not, normally they change their thinking and even their actions to correct the
negitative factor. A student probably would not stay up late the night before a test if they
recieve a bad grade on it.
For Mezirow talking about being open minded, he was fairly closed minded in
some of his arguements.While his point is well made and understandable, there was some
disrepencies in his view on frame of mind and habits of mind. Mezirow did not consider
the changes that comes with the new century or the adaptability of humans.