Generational conflict is back. After years of relative silence, and mutual ignorance, the young and old are once more at war. With youth unemployment high on the political agenda, the fortunes of the "jobless generation" are being contrasted with those of the "golden generation" of baby boomers, but is one generation really…

Rioting usually achieves nothing in itself, but it can tell the people a lot about their society. For anyone interested in adult learning, the experience of the public debate has been salutary, with any attempt to explain the events being dismissed as "condoning" the looters. While it would be arrogant to assume that everyone now knows…

Everyone is talking about civil society. Perhaps it's the election, and the shock of seeing more voters at the polling booths than anyone had expected. Now David Cameron's idea of a "big society" is being translated into some early policy measures. Does today's debate have anything to do with adult learning? The author believes that the…

Describes the establishment and progress of courses in peace studies, a controversial topic that falls well within the tradition of adult education. (JOW)

Examines empirical evidence of the relationship between initial schooling and adult participation in learning. Explores the divergence between high levels of initial attainment and low levels of adult participation in Northern Ireland. Explains that "social capital" provides an alternative to formal participation in adult learning and a…