The political economy of adult education and development - Frank Youngman

In the former colonial world the discourse of development has established an almost unquestioned intellectual and political dominance. Adult educators, their purposes and their programmes inevitably are shaped by this. Youngman believes that adult educators need to have an understanding of the various different theories of development, and how different development strategies affect their own work. This book provides a theory of applied political economy to explain the interface between society and adult education in developing countries. Youngman analyzes specific issues which affect adult education: the impact of foreign aid; gender and ethnic inequalities; and the relationship between state and civil society in peripheral capitalist societies. The book draws on a wealth of empirical information and case studies from various parts of the world. The approach is broadly influenced by the Marxist tradition, but seeks to transcend many of the limitations and rigidities often prevalent in the past.