TY - JOUR

T1 - The Vocational Turn of Adult Education in Denmark:

T2 - an analysis of adult education policy from the late 1990s

AU - Rasmussen, Palle

AU - Larson, Anne

AU - Cort, Pia

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Denmark has a strong and versatile tradition of adult education. Over a long historical period, adult education for enlightenment and leisure, for continuing study and for vocational and professional competence have been developed, been made part of state policy and been used by citizens. But in recent years the public and political presence of Danish adult education has changed. An indication of this is found in the fact that although education policy issues generally abound public and political debates, adult education is given much less attention that earlier. In this article we try to trace the causes of this and conclude that it is reflects a turn towards focusing on vocational types of adult education and a relocation of adult education policy to networks linking the state and the social partners. Drawing on theories of policy streams, policy networks and the competition state, we provide a historical analysis of Danish adult education reforms during the last two decades and document how the vocational turn has manifested itself.

AB - Denmark has a strong and versatile tradition of adult education. Over a long historical period, adult education for enlightenment and leisure, for continuing study and for vocational and professional competence have been developed, been made part of state policy and been used by citizens. But in recent years the public and political presence of Danish adult education has changed. An indication of this is found in the fact that although education policy issues generally abound public and political debates, adult education is given much less attention that earlier. In this article we try to trace the causes of this and conclude that it is reflects a turn towards focusing on vocational types of adult education and a relocation of adult education policy to networks linking the state and the social partners. Drawing on theories of policy streams, policy networks and the competition state, we provide a historical analysis of Danish adult education reforms during the last two decades and document how the vocational turn has manifested itself.

KW - Folkeoplysning

KW - Konkurrencestat

KW - erhvervsrettet uddannelse

KW - policy netværk

KW - voksenuddannelsespolitik

KW - Adult education policy

KW - Competition state

KW - Enlightenment

KW - Erhvervsuddannelse

KW - Livslang læring

KW - Policy networks

KW - Uddannelsespolitik

KW - Vocational education

KW - Voksenlæring

U2 - 10.1080/02601370.2019.1586778

DO - 10.1080/02601370.2019.1586778

M3 - Journal article

VL - 38

SP - 254

EP - 267

JO - International Journal of Lifelong Education

JF - International Journal of Lifelong Education

SN - 0260-1370

IS - 3

ER -