In this contribution, I explore how critical pedagogical perspectives can inspire adult and community education practices. The central argument is that today, in contrast with the heydays of emancipatory practices and theories, the classical critical approaches need reconsideration. The paper explores how these approaches sometimes have a…

This paper reports on a research project completed with graduate students of the adult-education programme at the Leuven University in Flanders, Belgium. The research focused on cultural policies and practices in urban contexts that try to facilitate the learning of democratic citizenship in non-formal settings. In the first part we introduce some…

In this article we elaborate a case where citizens were encouraged to discuss an environmental policy plan within seven focus groups. In line with this experience, we raise two questions about the deliberation process we tried to support. First, how to understand the importance of narratives as sources of civic learning? Second, how can a…

This paper explores how the report "Learning through Life" exemplifies the dominant policy discourse on lifelong learning emphasizing strongly individual social mobility. The paper explores further how this functionalist and reductionist turn in (adult) education has come about and how concepts of democratic citizenship and education may create…

Transitional learning--a process of adaptation, growth, distinction, and resistance to changing circumstances--is illustrated through research on women's biographical learning related to work and on socioeconomic integration of young adults. Transitional learning is aimed at creating meaningful connections between individual life and society…

Emphasis in adult education on qualifications and competence stigmatizes disadvantaged groups with a deficient identity. However, cultural studies indicate that people are competent developers of their own identities, who contribute to social life in a wide variety of contexts. (SK)

Distinguishes two types of learning processes: (1) learning from regularity--a linear model of problem, process, and product; and (2) learning from irregularity--adaptation to changing circumstances. Argues that these approaches lack an ethical or political dimension and advocates learning from responsibility or social commitment. (SK)