Chapter Three

Interpreting Adult and Continuing Education

Before analysing the ‘two educations’ any further it is necessary to understand one other aspect of any analysis; that theories, values, beliefs and ideologies all intrude into any analysis of social phenomena. Since adult and continuing education may be construed as a social phenomenon, a separate social phenomenon, it is consequently open to such a process of interpretation and explanation. Hence, it is maintained here that when writers employ such phrases as ‘liberal adult education’ or ‘radical adult education’ they are not actually specifying a social phenomenon but employing a term to describe the end-product of such a process of analysis and explanation. The social phenomenon is ...

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