What is social about social learning?

Abstract

The present contribution intends to temper the debates around social learning through an attempt to clarify what the phrase ‘social learning’ can be understood to mean, and its implications. The present article is based on the open debates held during the 15th ESEE¹ held in Wageningen in August 2001 and, thus, on how people are actually using the phrase, not how they might ideally use it. In that forum, it was made clear that the wide use of the term ‘social learning’ in extension circles provokes frustration due to its imprecision. In this respect, ‘social learning’, as obscure and overused as it may be, may well finally become an empty term. The intention of the authors is to help us problematise the unproblematic.