This chapter explores the lifelong learning implicit in the promotion and defence of inclusive democratic values particularly in relation to formal and informal forms of Adult and Community Education practice. It suggests that behind the values of an inclusive and courteous social democracy is an ideal that lives in a reflective, pragmatic, and critical imagination – i.e., an imagination that envisages inclusive democratic values as possible and desirable in human life which need to be visioned and revisioned constantly to meet changing circumstances. The specific learnings involved in renewing the inclusive imagination underpinning democratic values – how it can be fostered and what barriers exist to impede it – pose considerable challenges to educators and trainers of adults particularly where their educational work has been concerned largely with imparting information and skills. Although this chapter has an eye to adult education practice, it is largely concerned with contextual and curriculum themes so that many of the ideas and explorations may be of use in the world of schooling as well.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Willis, P. (2007). Lifelong Learning, Adult Education, and Democratic Values: Evoking and Shaping an Inclusive Imagination. In: Aspin, D.N., Chapman, J.D. (eds) Values Education and Lifelong Learning. Lifelong Learning Book Series, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6184-4_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6184-4_20
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-6183-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-6184-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)