Camilla Fitzsimons

Gebundenes Buch

Community Education and Neoliberalism

Philosophies, Practices and Policies

Beschreibung

This open access book, now in its second edition, offers a powerful analysis of adult and community education at a time of rising inequality and diminishing state support. Grounded in both Irish and international contexts, this edition again challenges the impact of neoliberal agendas on grassroots community education and makes a convincing case for reclaiming community education s radical, consciousness-raising agenda.

The book is theoretically rooted in critical feminist pedagogy and draws on real-world examples to present key aspects of this approach to adult learning in a clear, accessible, and practical way. Community Education and Neoliberalism exposes the extent to which market-driven forces and managerialist agendas are eroding the transformative nature of adult and community education. The author examines the impact of neoliberal government lifelong learning policies, the potential drawbacks of professionalising community education and the perils of accreditation systems when marketisation becomes the principal focus.

But this book does not simply offer a critique it also presents practical pathways to revitalise community education, ensuring it continues to be a part of the struggle for a better world which, the author argues, can only be achieved through collective action. The book is essential reading and a call to action for students, educators, activists and policymakers alike, or indeed or anyone who is passionate about equality and social justice.

Autor

Camilla Fitzsimons is Lecturer in Adult and Community Education at Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, Ireland. She began working as a community educator in the 1990s and has worked with many groups including women's groups, intercultural groups, housing rights groups and community development and Leadership groups.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: National University of Ireland, Maynooth / Palgrave Macmillan / Springer Nature Switzerland / Spring
• Artikelnr. des Verlages: 89501469, 978-3-032-03742-8
• 2. Aufl.
• Seitenzahl: 192
• Erscheinungstermin: 11. November 2025
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 153mm x 16mm
• Gewicht: 366g
• ISBN-13: 9783032037428
• ISBN-10: 3032037425
• Artikelnr.: 74944721

Rezensionen

"Fitzsimons has expertly documented the damage wrought by neoliberal policies on the collective, equality-based ethos of community education in Ireland. Her groundbreaking, accessible analysis is essential reading for those interested in community education and its future. In Ireland and abroad, students, educators, and policymakers will benefit from paying it close attention." (Thomas Murray, Adult Education Quarterly, Vol. 68 (3), 2018)

"It will certainly appeal to a wide audience and, I suspect, especially practitioners, helping those engaged in community education reflect critically on their practice and consider the opportunities for broadening the field and reinvigorating community education and its potential. ... It is a valuable contribution to the theory and practice of community education and, arguably succeeds in it stated aim of 'nudging practitioners towards a more radical way of working.'" (Louise O'Meara, The Adult Learner, 2017)