This book comprises a collection of papers drawn from a conference in the University

of Joensuu, Finland in May 2005. The objective of the conference was to examine

issues of exclusion/inclusion and to explore the nature of participation and non-participation

in adult education in a globalised w^orld. The collection gives readers a critical

and thoughtful analysis on a selection of topics in the field. The articles are arranged

in four parts using headings that represent contemporary topics of concern to adult

educators. This gives the book a coherent structure whereby the reader may dip in

and out of each part depending on their interests. How^ever as the first part, 'Critical

perspectives' provides a useful context for the book thus it is a good place to begin

Finn, Josephine

English

NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive

Book Review: In from the Margins: Adult Education, Work and Civil Society. Antikainen, Ari, Harinen, Päivi and Torres, Carlos Alberto (eds.), 2006 Sense Publishers, ISBN 978-90-77874-46-2

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MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library

274 Book reviewsto allow the studies to 'interrogate and illuminate each other' (p. 11) in complex andoften unsettling ways. Some of her interpretations make for fascinating reading, par-ticularly her comments on how the desire for knowledge amongst 'negatively posi-tioned groups' (p. 134), such as homeless learners, is led by pleasure or how learningis conducted in informal, as w e^ll as formal, spaces. Others I found perplexing - likethe account of the links between imagined social capital and the natural world inChapter 3 where I struggled to understand the importance of nature to the learningjourneys of the most marginalised groups of young people.But this one critique, which perhaps says more about my journey through educa-tion and my love of all things urban, is a small aside to a book w^hich I found genuinelyengaging and inspiring in equal measure. Quinn strikes a positive note throughout,urging us in the latter half to look to Lorraine Code's 'ecological thinking' to theorisefrom the embodied joy of knowledge, rather than theorising about knowledge. This,she argues, will take us beyond a solipsistic view of learning and towards a more com-munal and holistic view. This, surely, is a call to which we should all rise and whichmight free us, temporarily at least, from the harsh realities of current life in the uni-versity sector.Hazel ChristieEdinburgh Napier UniversityE-mail: h. christie@napier. ac. ukLnfrom the Margins: Adult Education, Work and Civil SocietyAntikainen, Ari, Harinen, Päivi and Torres, Carlos Alberto (eds.), 2006Sense Publishers, ISBN 978-90-77874-46-2, pbk, $49.OO/€45.OO, 300pp.This book comprises a collection of papers drawn from a conference in the Universityof Joensuu, Finland in May 2005. The objective of the conference was to examineissues of exclusion/inclusion and to explore the nature of participation and non-partic-ipation in adult education in a globalised w o^rld. The collection gives readers a criticaland thoughtful analysis on a selection of topics in the field. The articles are arrangedin four parts using headings that represent contemporary topics of concern to adulteducators. This gives the book a coherent structure whereby the reader may dip inand out of each part depending on their interests. How e^ver as the first part, 'Criticalperspectives' provides a useful context for the book thus it is a good place to begin.The changing nature of approaches to adult education and the impact of efforts tomainstream it are explored in this part of the book. A discussion of theories and policyand the impact of globalisation on the politics of adult education expose some of thestruggles within the discipline itself. The impact of neoliberal ideologies on politicalpedagogies 'traditionally concerned with developing w h^at Paulo Freiré called a "peda-gogy of the oppressed"' (Martin: p. 12) is addressed. It is suggested that adult educa-tors have become more concerned with personal ambitions for academic achieve-ment w h^ile neglecting the role of adult education as public sociology. Carlos Torresargues that policy has been non-existent in many countries and w^here it does existit is often based on 'technocratic thinking' and 'guided to a large extent by an instru-mental rationality' (p. 4). With its roots in local communities, it is argued that adultBook reviews 275education has the potential to stimulate opposition to neoliberal politics and globali-sation through mobilisation of social movements for change. However, this asstimesthat adult educators are a homogeneous group which is not the case. They are dif-ferentiated by their pedagogical and philosophical approaches but more especially bytheir political positions. This means that there is no unity of purpose making effortsto tackle neoliberalism difficult.The section on 'Active citizenship and participation' offers an overview of issuesrelated to participation in education, civil society and ^vork. Research into barriers toparticipation as experienced by immigrant groups is examined. Adult education is chal-lenged to facilitate learning that would enable these groups to actively influence changein the social, legal and political systems of which they are a part. This is of particular sig-nificance because migration and dual citizenship is becoming the norm and notions ofnational identity are shifting making identities based on nationhood more problematic.Identity is also very important when analysing patterns of participation in education.Antikainen notes that learner identities are constructed in school experiences and thatlearning orientations are significantly influenced by levels of achievements: practicalorientations are attached to negative experiences while those with more theoreticalorientations are attached to positive experiences. These in turn affect participation. Thepuzzle of non-participation continues to be a focus in the next section.'Adult learners in different contexts' further examines the experience of non-par-ticipants, dissenters and those who choose not to participate in education. Womenin rural Finland expressed no desire for formal education because they stated thattheir achievements in business give them a sense of empowerment and self worth. Asurvey of women cleaners' attitudes to education provided similar results. They wereinterested in work rather than education and felt that work references were moreimportant to employers than educational awards. Both pieces of research discuss theprevailing dichotomy that continues to exist about theory/practice in education andconsider whether the high status traditionally attached to theoretical learning remainsvalid. It is argued that much of what we value as learning is only understood if it isvalidated in an award structure. However there is a growing realisation that manydo not want or need awards to have their knowledge acknowledged. They recognisethat they can gain 'really useful knowledge' in experience and create their own path'towards becoming a better human being' (p. 293).In 'Challenging the digital divide' case studies and research is provided on theexperiences of learners using ICT. Access to broadband continues to be a problem formany, however even when this is overcome the level of use depends on individualcompetencies and access to specialist training. Women taking an eLearning course onthe Greek islands discovered that online learning is time consuming and very demand-ing. They struggled to balance learning, life and family - a common problem for allpart-time learners but in particular for women who are more likely to be constrainedby the pressures of childcare and domestic responsibilities. The articles in this part ofthe book show that the use of ICT for community engagement and learning continuesto be challenging and that although many advances have been made in the last dec-ade, universal access is still a long way off.Overall this book provides a reflexive and coherent set of articles that engage thereader in an ongoing critical conversation about the nature and role of adult education inrealising equality of opportunity in education and in building a more egalitarian and justsociety. It highlights the necessity for practitioners to engage in continual reflexiveness276 Book reviewsto ensure that radical pedagogies retain their voice and power and are not muted byneoliberal rhetoric. All the old issues of the past remain current as research shows thatstudent participation continues to be hampered by issues related to cultural, social andeconomic poverty. Since this book was published in 2006 the Western world has beenthrown into a spin of economic disasters that have hit the foundations of capitalism inmany European states. Poverty is becoming even more endemic in many regions. As thecrisis deepens the future becomes even more uncertain. Thus it could be an opportunetime to reawaken the social and political purpose of adult education by fostering peda-gogies of opposition as an antidote to the neoliberal pandemic that holds instrumentalrationaUsm as the core value and purpose of education. In from the Margins providesan exceUent argument for rekindling the mission of radical adult education and placing itonce again at the centre of the discipline, the practice and the movement.Josephine FinnNational University of Ireland MaynoothIrelandE-mail: Josephine.W.Finn@nuim.ieInnovations in Lifelong Learning: Critical Perspectives onDiversity, Participation and Vocational LearningJackson, Sue (ed.), 2010Routledge, ISBN 978 041554879 3, pbk, £28.99, 260 pp.Sue Jackson is well known for her contribution to the literature on lifelong learning,and this edited collection is an excellent addition to her résumé. The book derivesfrom a conference at Birkbeck Institute for Lifelong Learning and is split into threesections: on learning communities, participation and non-participation, and work-based learning and learning through work. Within these sections, the twelve chapterscover topics such as embracing cultural diversity, informal community learning intraditional Africa, community participation for older women, men's informal learn-ing and wellbeing outside the workplace in Australia, 'race', participation and highereducation in the USA, senior learners and their participation in university research inthe UK, access and equity in Aoteroa/New Zealand and power relations in work-basedlearning. This eclectic collection is shaped meaningfully by Sue Jackson's editing andby useful introductions and conclusions to each section.The collection not only provides insight into examples of innovative lifelong learningacross the globe, but offers a valuable critique of neoliberalism and its economically-driven preoccupation with skills learning. For example, Gouthro ('Women, learning andequity') notes that neoliberal discourses of individualism, competition and the values ofthe marketplace have shaped Western educational policies that fail to engage with issuesof accountability, democracy and social justice. In this context, educators need to ques-tion the very definition of 'lifelong learning'; indeed, in the contribution by McManus on'Developing capacity in workers', we are reminded of Unesco's (1972) core lifelong learn-ing theme of developing learner self-awareness and capacity in w^ ays which meaningfullystretch our definition of lifelong learning. Avoseh's chapter 'Informal community learn-ing in traditional Africa' is also a reminder that Western definitions should be temperedby a broader awareness of lifelong learning as a truly globalised phenomenon.

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Book Review: In from the Margins: Adult Education, Work and Civil Society. Antikainen, Ari, Harinen, Päivi and Torres, Carlos Alberto (eds.), 2006 Sense Publishers, ISBN 978-90-77874-46-2

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