Global and Comparative Adult Education Research: A Response to John Field, Klaus Künzel and Michael Schemmann

Abstract

In the 2016 ‘International Yearbook of Adult Education’, John Field, Klaus Künzel and Michael Schemmann shared their reflections on theory, methodology and future developments of what construed as International Comparative Adult Education, a field of academic and policy research. Reconstructing its past developments since the work of Jullien de Paris, celebrated as an ancestor, and thorough three evolutionary phases until its apparent demise in present days, the authors present a rather convincing historical account. This narrative distinguishes between a pre-foundation or ‘bridging’ phase (1900-30), a foundation phase (post World War II to the late 1960s), and an institutionalisation phase (1970s onwards). Yet when reaching the XXI century as a turning point, the authors claim “it poses the question of what is understood as comprising international comparative adult education research” (Field, Künzel & Schemmann 2016, p. 110). Accordingly, they purposely open for colleagues to join into the dialogue.