The pressures of economic competition affect the narratives of adult educators. Three interrelated themes provide insights into the contemporary condition of adult educators: the turn to "textuality," changes in the economy and organization of work, and debates over postmodern identity. (SK)

Emphasis on competence and National Vocational Qualifications in Britain raises questions as to whether the competence framework is an appropriate form of progress. Development of education/training and employment opportunities in the present period of uncertainty requires imagination as well as competence. (SK)

Examines such trends as vocationalization, marketization, and the commodification of knowledge within the discourse of lifelong learning. Explores the concept of boundaries in education and lifelong learning and the implications for the role of adult educators. (Contains 58 references.) (SK)

This book examines different notions of a learning society and the changes in adult education theory and practice that will be required to create a learning society. Recent developments in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, in other countries are cited as evidence that creating a learning society will require new forms of thinking about…