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Recognition and adult education : an incongruent opportunity

Sandberg, Fredrik LU (2016) In Studies in Continuing Education 38(3). p.265-280
Abstract

Building on narratives of students in adult education in Sweden, where the majority of the students are young adults, this paper argues that adult education has both negative and positive aspects in helping individuals to be recognised as valuable. Students, often part of the precariat class, have not always been able to survive in the job market and have a history of failing in upper secondary school. By drawing on the recognition theory of Axel Honneth, the results show that municipal adult education has the potential to be a transitory learning platform in which the individual can regain esteem that has been lost due to unemployment, precarious employment and failure in upper secondary school. It provides temporary stability. Yet,... (More)

Building on narratives of students in adult education in Sweden, where the majority of the students are young adults, this paper argues that adult education has both negative and positive aspects in helping individuals to be recognised as valuable. Students, often part of the precariat class, have not always been able to survive in the job market and have a history of failing in upper secondary school. By drawing on the recognition theory of Axel Honneth, the results show that municipal adult education has the potential to be a transitory learning platform in which the individual can regain esteem that has been lost due to unemployment, precarious employment and failure in upper secondary school. It provides temporary stability. Yet, most students are in a sense forced to study and it is not patent that adult education can help them in their struggle for self-actualisation.

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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adult education, Axel Honneth, critical social theory, recognition theory, the precariat class, young adults
in
Studies in Continuing Education
volume
38
issue
3
pages
265 - 280
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:84961206444
  • wos:000382499800001
ISSN
0158-037X
DOI
10.1080/0158037X.2016.1160881
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8d2a2ada-2554-4aa8-a886-6ab2358058be
date added to LUP
2016-04-11 22:45:27
date last changed
2024-06-14 02:48:12
@article{8d2a2ada-2554-4aa8-a886-6ab2358058be,
  abstract     = {{<p>Building on narratives of students in adult education in Sweden, where the majority of the students are young adults, this paper argues that adult education has both negative and positive aspects in helping individuals to be recognised as valuable. Students, often part of the precariat class, have not always been able to survive in the job market and have a history of failing in upper secondary school. By drawing on the recognition theory of Axel Honneth, the results show that municipal adult education has the potential to be a transitory learning platform in which the individual can regain esteem that has been lost due to unemployment, precarious employment and failure in upper secondary school. It provides temporary stability. Yet, most students are in a sense forced to study and it is not patent that adult education can help them in their struggle for self-actualisation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sandberg, Fredrik}},
  issn         = {{0158-037X}},
  keywords     = {{Adult education; Axel Honneth; critical social theory; recognition theory; the precariat class; young adults}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{265--280}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Studies in Continuing Education}},
  title        = {{Recognition and adult education : an incongruent opportunity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2016.1160881}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/0158037X.2016.1160881}},
  volume       = {{38}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}