On Becoming a Witch: Learning in a Marginalized Community of Practice

Abstract

Much learning in adulthood is informal, social in nature, and firmly embedded in the life context of the learner. It takes place in social groups engaged in a common practice. One model for considering the learning that takes place in social groups is Wenger's notion of communities of practice. In a community of practice, learning, practice, and identity development are intertwined. The purpose of this study was to investigate learning in a marginalized community of practice—that of witches. Twenty witches belonging to several different covens, or communities of practice, were interviewed. Data analysis revealed (a) a trajectory of participation representing movement from the periphery to the center of the group; (b) learning in practice that is experiential, that combines formal and intuitive knowledge, and that is spread across the group; and (c) an identifiable process of identity development in becoming a witch. To some extent, the marginality of the community shaped the group's learning and practice.