The Learning Society and people with learning difficulties
By Sheila Riddell, Stephen Baron and Alastair Wilson
Published
May 16, 2001Page count
260 pagesISBN
978-1861342232Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy Press
There is a growing concern about the social exclusion of a range of minority groups, including people with learning difficulties. Lifelong learning is seen as one of the central means of challenging the exclusion of this group, but also of enhancing their economic status. This book demonstrates that policy based on human capital premises has produced forms of lifelong learning which exacerbate the marginalisation of people with learning difficulties.
The Learning Society and people with learning difficulties:
reviews the range of policy fields which increasingly intervene in the lifelong learning arena;
maps the agencies involved in service delivery and describes their (sometimes conflicting) ethos;
provides in-depth accounts of the lived experiences of individuals with learning difficulties as they navigate lifelong learning options.
Its exploration of the links between community care, education, training, employment, housing and benefits policies in the context of lifelong learning is unique.
This book makes a significant contribution to debates about how people with learning difficulties may achieve social inclusion, and the part which lifelong learning may play in this. It is therefore invaluable reading for policy makers, practitioners and academics interested in these issues.
"... a very useful and reflective book." Journal of Education and Work
"The Learning Society and People With Learning Difficulties is a joy to read. It combines theoretical and policy analysis within a framework that is informed by a broad political awarness." Widening Particioation and Lifelong Learning
"... a valuable contribution to wider debates about achieving social inclusion for disabled people ... I expect this text to offer much food for thought to policy makers and practitioners alike." Studies in the Education of Adults
"The Learning Society and people with learning difficulties is a joy to read. It combines theoretical and policy analysis within a framework that is informed by a broad political awareness." Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning
"Work in this field as applied to lifelong learning and disability is sadly lacking. This book addresses the gap in current literature. It is both theoretically innovative and empirically well-grounded, and accessible to a wide audience of academics, students, practitioners and policy makers." Mike Flude, Director, Postgraduate Programme, Open University
Sheila Riddell is Professor of Social Policy (Disability Studies) and Director of the Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Stephen Baron is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow. Alastair Wilson is Research Fellow in the Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research, University of Glasgow.
Contents: Competing perspectives on lifelong learning and their implications for people with learning difficulties; Policy discourses and lifelong learning; Social justice and post-school education and training for people with learning difficulties; Lifelong learning for people with learning difficulties; Access to the open labour market by people with learning difficulties; Participation in supported employment; Community care, employment and benefits; Social capital, lifelong learning and people with learning difficulties; Regulated lives; Conclusion: implications of different versions of the Learning Society for people with learning difficulties.