Adult education, lifelong learning and the end of political economy

Abstract

The concept of lifelong learning has become ubiquitous in education policy and theory, a development that has not escaped the attention of those working in adult education. For all the debate, little has been said regarding the political and economic forces behind its renewed importance. The paper argues that one of the main reasons for this silence is the uncritical acceptance of globalisation and post-industrial theories of social change. Individually, these theories constitute the end of politics and the end of economics respectively. When combined, they signify a theory of change that neglects the political economy of lifelong learning. This neglect paves the way for an acceptance of lifelong learning policy as a neutral reaction to benign and inevitable technological transformations. A structural theory of power is needed in adult education in order to place policies such as lifelong learning within the context of late capitalism.