Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Equity for Whom, to What and Where: The Multi-Dimensional Character of Social Justice in Adult Education

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Adult Education as Empowerment

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning ((PSAELL))

Abstract

This chapter provides theoretical and evidence-based insights into the understanding of social justice in adult education. It conceptualises social equity as an important public good and focuses on the contribution of adult education to it. We define five dimensions of social justice in adult education—inclusion, fairness, social justice for whom, social justice where, and social justice to what. The chapter provides empirical evidence of inclusion and fairness in adult education in relation to individuals’ employment status, as well as of access to higher education professional fields which differ in their prestige.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    This chapter uses data from Eurostat, ‘AES, 2011, 2016’ obtained for the needs of Research Project Proposal 196/2019-LFS-AES-CVTS. The responsibility for all conclusions drawn from the data lies entirely with the authors.

  2. 2.

    For a description of the survey, see Methodological Note.

  3. 3.

    Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

  4. 4.

    This representation is calculated by dividing the proportion of participants in adult education, aged 25 to 64 years, who belong to a certain social group (in our case—employed or unemployed) by the proportion of people from the same group in the entire national population aged 25 to 64 years. A value of representation above 1 indicates overrepresentation of the given social group among participants in adult education, whereas, a value below 1 shows that this group is underrepresented. A value of 1 means that a given social group is perfectly represented within a given form of adult education in the respective country.

  5. 5.

    This survey was carried out by the Open Society Institute, Sofia, within the project “Maintaining and improving the developed rating system of higher education” (Phase 1), funded by the Operational Programme “Science and Education for Smart Growth”, co-financed by the European Union through the European Structural and Investment Funds. The survey data were provided by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria with Decision No. 94-1375/14.05.2020.

  6. 6.

    See https://rsvu.mon.bg/rsvu4/#/.

  7. 7.

    Equivalent to ISCED 1997 1–2.

  8. 8.

    Equivalent to ISCED 1997 5–6.

  9. 9.

    ISCED 2011 0–2 corresponds to primary and lower secondary education (UNESCO 2012).

  10. 10.

    ISCED 2011 5–8 corresponds to short-cycle tertiary education, bachelor’s or equivalent level, master’s, and doctoral degrees or their equivalent levels (UNESCO 2012).

References

  • Archer, L. (2007). Diversity, equality and higher education: A critical reflection on the ab/uses of equity discourse within widening participation. Teaching in Higher Education, 12(5–6), 633–653.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bask, M., & Bask, M. (2015). Cumulative (dis)advantage and the Matthew effect in life-course analysis. PLoS One, 10(11), e0142447. Published online 2015 Nov 25. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0142447.

  • Blossfeld, H.-P., & Shavit, Y. (1993). Persistent inequality. Changes in educational opportunities in thirteen countries. In Y. Shavit & H.-P. Blossfeld (Eds.), Persistent inequality. Changing educational attainment in thirteen countries (pp. 1–23). Boulder, San Francisco, Oxford: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boeren, E., Roumell, E., & Roessger, K. (2020). COVID-19 and the future of adult education: An editorial. Adult Education Quarterly, 70(3), 201–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyadjieva, P., & Ilieva-Trichkova, P. (2017). Between inclusion and fairness: Social justice perspective to participation in adult education. Adult Education Quarterly, 67(2), 97–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyadjieva, P., & Ilieva-Trichkova, P. (2020). Inclusion and fairness in access to higher education: Theoretical distinctions, measurement and patters of interactions. In L. Weimer & T. Nokkala (Eds.), Universities as political institutions – Higher education institutions in the middle of academic, economic, and social pressures (pp. 237–261). Rotterdam: Brill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, J., & Naidoo, R. (2008). Higher education and the achievement (and/or prevention) of equity and social justice. Higher Education, 56, 287–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brighouse, H. (2003). School choice and social justice. Oxford: University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clancy, P., & Goastellec, G. (2007). Exploring access and equity in higher education: Policy and performance in a comparative perspective. Higher Education Quarterly, 61(2), 136–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devos, A. (2011). Learning to labour in regional Australia: Gender, identity and place in lifelong learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 30(4), 437–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2017). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on renewed EU Agenda for Higher education. Brussels: European Commission. COM (2017) 247 final. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52017DC0247&from=EN.

  • Francois, J. E. (2014). Social justice and philosophies of adult education. The meaning of social justice in philosophy of adult education theories. European Journal of Academic Essays, 1(6), 7–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N. (2003). Social justice in the age of identity politics – Redistribution, recognition, and participation. In N. Fraser & A. Honneth (Eds.), Redistribution or recognition? A political-philosophical exchange (pp. 7–109). New York: Verso.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N. (2005). Reframing justice in a globalizing world. New Left Review, 36(November–December), 69–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N. (2009). Scales of justice: Reimagining political space in a globalizing world. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furlong, A., & Cartmel, F. (2009). Higher education and social justice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gewirtz, S. (1998). Conceptualizing social justice in education: Mapping the territory. Journal of Education Policy, 13(4), 469–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gewirtz, S. (2006). Towards a contextualized analysis of social justice in education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 38(1), 69–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, M. (2003). Action for social justice in education: Fairly different. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayek, F. A. (1976). Law, legislation and liberty, Volume 2: The mirage of social justice. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ilieva-Trichkova, P., & Boyadjieva, P. (2014). Dynamics of inequalities in access to higher education: Bulgaria in a comparative perspective. European Journal of Higher Education, 4(2), 97–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S. (2011). Lifelong learning and social justice. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 30(4), 431–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson-Bailey, J., Baumgartner, L., & Bowles, T. (2010). Social justice in adult and continuing education: Laboring in the fields of reality and hope. In C. Kasworm, A. Rose, & J. Ross-Gordon (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (pp. 339–350). Los Angeles: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klees, S. J. (2017). The political economy of education and inequality: Reflections on Piketty. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 15(4), 410–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kogan, I., Noelke, C., & Gebel, M. (Eds.). (2011). Making the transition: Education and labour market entry in Central and Eastern Europe. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, S. R. (2001). Effectively maintained inequality: Education transitions, track mobility, and social background effects. The American Journal of Sociology, 106(6), 1642–1690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (2011). Equity, status and freedom: A note on higher education. Cambridge Journal of Education, 41(1), 23–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (2016). Higher education and the common good. Melbourne: Melbourne University Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S., & Yang, L. (2020). The role of higher education in generating ‘public’ and ‘common’ goods: A comparison of Sinic and Anglo-American political cultures. Centre for Global Higher Education, Working paper no. 52. University of Oxford. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://www.researchcghe.org/perch/resources/publications/working-paper-52.pdf.

  • Moeller, K., & Tarlau, R. (2016). Thomas Piketty’s relevance for the study of education: Reflections on the political economy of education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(6), 805–809.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • North, C. (2006). More than words? Delving into the substantive meaning(s) of “social justice” in education. Review of Educational Research Winter, 76(4), 507–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2014). Education at a glance. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okin, S. M. (1989). Justice, gender, and the family. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, F. T. (2008). Persistent inequality in educational attainment and its institutional context. European Sociological Review, 24(5), 543–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the twenty-first century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. (1999 [1971]). A theory of justice (Revised ed.). Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimer, D., & Pollak, R. (2010). Educational expansion and its consequences for vertical and horizontal inequalities in access to higher education in West Germany. European Sociological Review, 26(4), 415–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riddell, S., Markowitsch, J., & Weedon, E. (Eds.). (2012). Lifelong learning in Europe: Equity and efficiency in the balance. Bristol: Policy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, S. L. (2016). Piketty, capital and education: A solution to, or problem in, rising social inequalities? British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(6), 823–835.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robeyns, I. (2003). Sen’s capability approach and gender inequality: Selecting relevant capabilities. Feminist Economics, 9(2–3), 61–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robeyns, I. (2008). Justice as fairness and the capability approach. In K. Basu & R. Kanbu (Eds.), Arguments for a better world: Essays in honor of Amartya Sen: Volume I: Ethics, welfare, and measurement (pp. 397–413). Oxford: University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Santiago, P., Tremblay, K., Basri, K., & Arnal, E. (2008). Tertiary education for the knowledge society (Special features: Equity, innovation, labour market, internalisation) (Vol. 2). Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (2006). What do we want from a theory of justice? Journal of Philosophy, 103(5), 215–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (2009). The idea of justice. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Thrupp, M., & Tomlinson, S. (2005). Introduction: Education policy, social justice and ‘complex hope’. British Educational Research Journal, 31, 549–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuckett, A. (2015). Adult education, social transformation and the pursuit of social justice. European Journal of Education, 50(3), 245–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNDP. (2015). Transforming our world. The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. A/RES/70/1. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?page=view&nr=2125&type=400&menu=35.

  • UNESCO. (2012). International standard classification of education ISCED 2011. UNESCO: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN WOMEN, … ILO. (2015). Education 2030 – Incheon declaration and framework for action for the implementation of sustainable development goal 4. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002456/245656e.pdf.

  • United Nations. (2006). Social justice in an open world. The role of the United Nations. New York: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Unterhalter, E. (2014). Measuring education for the Millennium development goals: Reflections on targets, indicators, and a post-2015 framework. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 15(2–3), 176–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Unterhalter, E., & Carpentier, V. (2010). Global inequalities and higher education. Whose interests are we serving? New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Usher, A., & Medow, J. (2010). Global higher education rankings 2010: Affordability and accessibility in comparative perspective. Retrieved July 18, 2020, from http://www.ireg-observatory.org/pdf/HESA_Global_Higher_EducationRankings2010.pdf.

  • Walker, M. (2003). Framing social justice in education: What does the ‘capabilities’ approach offer? British Journal of Educational Studies, 51(2), 168–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, M., & Unterhalter, E. (Eds.). (2007). Amartya Sen’s capability approach and social justice in education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waller, R., Bovill, H., & Pitt, B. (2011). Parents, partners and peers: Bearing the hidden costs of lifelong learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 30(4), 509–526.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waller, W., Hodge, S., Holford, J., Milana, M., & Webb, S. (2020). Lifelong education, social inequality and the COVID-19 health pandemic. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 39(3), 243–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. (2011). Raising expectations or constructing victims? Problems with promoting social inclusion through lifelong learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 30(4), 451–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson-Strydom, M. (2015). University access and theories of social justice: Contributions of the capabilities approach. Higher Education, 69(1), 143–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J., Majhanovich, S., & Rust, V. (2006). Education and social justice: Issues of liberty and equality in the global culture. In J. Zajda, S. Majhanovich, & V. Rust (Eds.), Education and social justice (pp. 1–12). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Pepka Boyadjieva & Petya Ilieva-Trichkova

Authors
  1. Pepka Boyadjieva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Petya Ilieva-Trichkova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Boyadjieva, P., Ilieva-Trichkova, P. (2021). Equity for Whom, to What and Where: The Multi-Dimensional Character of Social Justice in Adult Education. In: Adult Education as Empowerment. Palgrave Studies in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67136-5_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67136-5_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-67135-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-67136-5

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation