BOOK REVIEW

Innovations in lifelong learning: Critical perspectiveson diversity, participation and vocational learning

By Sue Jackson (ed.). Routledge, London and New York, 2011, 259 pp.ISBN 978-0-415-54878-6 (hbk), 978-0-415-54879-3 (pbk), 978-0-203-83395-7(e-book)

Alan Rogers

Published online: 21 February 2012

� Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

This book contains a number of papers arising from an international conference; not

all were given at the conference but the themes came from that meeting. It falls into

three parts, Learning Communities; Participation and Non-participation; and Work-

based learning and learning through work. Each section is introduced and

summarised briefly by the editor.

Different concepts of ‘‘learning’’ are used in these papers. Some talk about non-

participation in learning (by which they mean any kind of provided learning

programme, formal and non-formal), while others see learning as a universal and

ubiquitous activity: ‘‘always occurring … It is prevalent … People would not be

able to use mobile phones, find their way in strange cities or use new foods without

learning informally how to do so’’ (pp. 142–3); ‘‘unlike learning which happens all

the time … education involves intention and commitment’’ (p. 69). Again, a

constant theme identifies ‘‘lifelong learning’’ with ‘‘informal learning’’. It is a pity

that the issues around different discourses of ‘‘learning’’ are not discussed, for they

lead to confusion in these pages as elsewhere.

But apart from that, this is a useful collection of papers. The chapters range

widely – from ‘‘indigenous learning’’ in Africa, to ‘‘men’s sheds’’ in Australia, the

Women’s Institutes in England, women in higher education and open learning

programmes in Canada, ethnic groups in higher education in the USA and ‘‘senior

learners’’ in higher education in the UK, a vocational training programme in New

Zealand, a university programme in the UK.

Many subjects are addressed, especially identities, both ascribed and self-

formulated. The opening section reveals the key themes of the collection: the way

people account for non-participation in learning programmes as ‘‘located in the lack

of ambition of the individual rather than within structural and discursive

inequalities’’ (p. 6); the ‘‘highly problematic’’ construction of knowledge as ‘‘an

A. Rogers (&)

University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

e-mail: alan.rogers14@btinternet.com

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Int Rev Educ (2012) 58:293–294

DOI 10.1007/s11159-012-9277-5

ungendered, apolitical and universally shared goal’’ (p. 7); and ‘‘the profoundly

conformist’’ nature of lifelong learning today (p. 12). The papers set out to challenge

orthodoxies and succeed, especially in two contemporary themes of lifelong

learning, ‘‘learning for citizenship’’ and ‘‘learning for work’’.

The citizenship debate in Part 1 is given a local community dimension in several

papers, stressing bringing out and valuing the diversity of cultures rather than

‘‘hiding all cultural differences’’ in the search for equality (p. 20), and community

participation rather than active citizenship (p. 87). The possibility that this approach

could strengthen rather than challenge traditional structures of power is only

indirectly addressed.

Part 2 on participation uses the language of ‘‘learning’’ when it means

‘‘education’’, planned and provided learning programmes which may be formal,

non-formal or informal. It thus quotes EU statements that just under ten per cent of

the adult population ‘‘participated in some form of lifelong learning activity’’ (p.

89). Three of the four papers relate to higher education, one relates to adult literacy

and numeracy. The danger of informal learning being politicised is pointed out (p.

160).

Part 3 on learning through and for work examines a government vocational

training programme in New Zealand and a business training course in a UK

university. Two general chapters end the book, one on migration and the creating of

new identities (especially women participating in higher education and in work

places), and the other on holistic approaches to learning which draws on a capacitymodel (it would have been good to have a more detailed discussion on a

capabilities, a strong contemporary theme of lifelong education, as well as a

competency model).

I am not sure that the issue of innovations comes through very clearly. Some of

the learning programmes discussed are innovatory (but their innovatory character is

not examined critically); others are not innovatory, even if they challenge some

dominant approaches. But this is a small point: the book has a wealth of material in

it and deserves to be read widely; it is well produced with a useful index.

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