Adult Education between Policy, Economics and Science. Policy of Adult Education and Learning in and Era of Global Capitalism
Abstract
Adult education has become a global phenomenon and a declared priority of decisive economic and political actors of the contemporary world. From a field that was originally, since the 19th century, dominated by an effort to promote social justice and self-actualization, it evolved, over the past several decades, into a tool of policies promoting economic growth and people's adaptation to global capitalism.
The book analyzes the processes of education policy Europeanisation and globalisation as driven by the activities of international political and economic organisations (OECD, UNESCO, EU and others). The critical theory approach underlying this publication is applied not only to education policy but also in a broader context, to analyse other policy domains in which adult education and learning plays an important role (e.g., work or citizenship).
It is dealt with economization of education and its role in justifying social inequalities. Critical theory provides the main methodological inspiration.
The author approaches adult education as a cultural and political phenomenon. He also studies alternative relationships between scientific research and education policy.