Men's learning in International settings

Abstract

This paper critically examines new and emerging international research in the field on men’s learning, whose new research data tend to come mainly and recently from Australia and Europe. It deliberately builds on the first major work on men’s learning by Veronica McGivney (published by NIACE, McGivney, 1999; 2004). It also identifies particular groups of boys and men who are adversely affected by educational preclusion in diverse international contexts. These particularly include men of all ages who are beyond work for a range of reasons (early school leavers, unemployed, withdrawn from the workforce, with a disability or in age retirement). It also includes men whose engagement with work, family and community is limited by exclusion from, active avoidance of, or aversion to formal education. The paper provides a rationale and theoretical framework for focusing on the needs men whose limited knowledge of formal learning cultures, new information technologies and functional literacies preclude them from accessing, participating in and benefiting from life and new learning