Rethinking adult education for active participatory citizenship and resistance in Europe

Based on the preliminary results of the European research project EduMAP the chapter discusses the widely recognised yet weakened position of active participatory citizenship and its role in the current debate on the responsibility of adult education as a medium for empowerment and emancipation from prioritised neo-liberal values. The initial focus is on the various problems faced by adult education in Europe. Adult education as a means to achieve active participatory citizenship is then discussed suggesting that it is important to examine the educational implications of relevant theories and practices on citizenship. The paper concludes by suggesting that the current discussion on the challenges European societies face today, must acknowledge the need for adult education to be reformulated in ways that are enriched by diversity and the wide range of learning contexts and communicative practices that pose new challenges.