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Empowerment Through Lifelong Learning

A Social Justice Perspective

Third International Handbook of Lifelong Learning

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE))

Abstract

Our contemporary world is characterized by highly dynamic, growing inequalities between and within societies, as well as increased insecurity and vulnerability. Under such conditions, there are no ready, easily applied, and transferable answers about how individuals and societies can cope with these emerging challenges. Facing such new challenges, all individuals and societies become susceptible and vulnerable to various extents; so, against this background, the present chapter argues: 1) that there is a need to reimagine the essence and role of lifelong learning and 2) that the empowerment role of lifelong education and learning is crucial, penetrating all its other roles, and applies to all individuals and societies.

Theoretically, the chapter builds on a combination of insights from the capability approach (Sen) and Nancy Fraser’s theory of social justice. We regard the empowerment role of lifelong learning as having two sides: a subjective one, referring to an individual’s capability to gain control over the environment with the aim of improving their own well-being and that of society, and an objective one, reflecting the available opportunity structures.

Empirically, the chapter relies on data from the European Social Survey, carried out in 2012 and explores the link between lifelong learning and individuals’ empowerment via descriptive statistics and multilevel regression analyses. Our findings provide suggestive evidence of a positive relationship between lifelong learning and individuals’ capacity to cope with the challenges in their lives and to work for the well-being of others. The analysis also shows that these links with lifelong learning are embedded in the available opportunity structures.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund, contract number KΠ-06-ДB-2/16.12.2019 within the project “Dynamics of inequalities in participation in higher and adult education: A comparative social justice perspective,” the National Science Program VIHREN.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Pepka Boyadjieva & Petya Ilieva-Trichkova

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  1. Pepka Boyadjieva
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  2. Petya Ilieva-Trichkova
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK

    Karen Evans

  2. 3S Research and Consultancy Insitute, Vienna, Austria

    Jörg Markowitsch

  3. Lifelong Learning Institute, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore, Singapore

    Wing On Lee

  4. Dept of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK

    Miriam Zukas

Section Editor information

  1. UCL Institute of Education, London, UK

    Karen Evans

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Boyadjieva, P., Ilieva-Trichkova, P. (2022). Empowerment Through Lifelong Learning. In: Evans, K., Markowitsch, J., Lee, W.O., Zukas, M. (eds) Third International Handbook of Lifelong Learning. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67930-9_8-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67930-9_8-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-67930-9

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  1. Latest

    Empowerment Through Lifelong Learning
    Published:
    18 November 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67930-9_8-2

  2. Original

    Empowerment Through Lifelong Learning
    Published:
    29 June 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67930-9_8-1

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