Men Learning Through Life

Concerns about men's attitudes to and involvement in lifelong and life-wide learning have recently emerged in many countries. There is a growing interest in finding ways to increase men's participation and promote practices that will contribute to men's learning and wellbeing, particularly in contexts and life stages for men beyond paid work. Men Learning Through Life, the definitive text on this subject, showcases expert international contributions presenting and examining evidence from theory, research, policy and practice, illustrated with case studies. As an implicitly connected issue, the book also presents evidence and builds a case for the initial education of boys to receive particular attention, in order to break intergenerational cycles of aversion to learning for some men and some communities. The book will inform national and international policies and practices related to the learning and wellbeing of men. This is of particular importance in the current context of rising men's unemployment as an outcome of the recent and ongoing global financial crisis; population ageing; early withdrawal of predominantly working-class men from paid work; and concerns about men's functional literacies, health and wellbeing in many developed nations. The text will be of particular interest to higher education researchers and academics, teachers and tutors, education policy makers and managers, professionals in adult and community education, and professionals in fields connected to health and wellbeing.

Table of Contents:
Foreword. Acknowledgements. Notes on contributors. Preface. Chapter One: Men learning through life. Chapter Two: Men's learning in international settings. Chapter Three: Men's health and wellbeing: Learning through the lifecourse. Chapter Four: Empowering men to learn through literacy. Chapter Five: The case for some men's spaces. Chapter Six: Learning beyond the workplace. Chapter Seven: Men and boys: Ages and stages. Chapter Eight: Men's sheds: A new movement for change. Chapter Nine: Men's learning in the UK. Chapter Ten: Men's learning in Ireland. Chapter Eleven: Men's learning in Portugal. Chapter Twelve: Men's learning in Greece. Chapter Thirteen: Men's learning in China. Chapter Fourteen: Men's learning in Australia. Chapter Fifteen: Men's learning in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Chapter Sixteen: Men's turn to learn? Index.

About the Author :
Barry Golding is Associate Dean, School of Education & Arts, University of Ballarat, Australia. His international research focuses on adult learning in community settings, with a specialisation in men's learning. He is President of Adult Learning Australia and a Patron of the Australian Men's Sheds Association. Rob Mark is Head of the Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Strathclyde, UK, where he leads a centre that provides specialised teaching and research into older learning. Rob has worked as a teacher and researcher in the adult, further and community sectors. His research has focused on access, adult literacy and policy and practice in lifelong learning. Annette Foley is Deputy Dean, School of Education & Arts, University of Ballarat, Australia. Her research focuses on the value of adult and community education for health and wellbeing. Annette's other research interest involves vocational education and training and the value of adult pedagogies to engage disengaged youth.