Lalage Bown was an inspirational adult educator who worked tirelessly to bring university education to people of all ages and sectors of society. For her, this was not a one-way process of ‘knowledge transmission’ but rather a partnership to the mutual benefit of both higher education and society at large. In this chapter I illustrate one university’s engagement with its wider community though a social-historical account of the emergence of Glasgow University’s Department of Adult and Continuing Education – from which Lalage Bown retired as Director in 1992.The chapter then explores different interpretations of ‘university adult education’ in Britain and the wider European context – both conceptually and in practical terms. Finally, the question is posed as to whether the time may have passed for the values and ideals espoused by this tradition? Or whether, alternatively, they are interpreted anew through, for example, universities’ commitments to widening access, social responsibility, the Sustainable Development Goals and other forms of outreach and civic engagement?
Dublin City University, Ireland - ORCID: 0000-0002-5063-6491
Chapter Title
Changing Conceptions of Social Purpose Higher Education: The Legacy of University Adult Education
Authors
Maria Slowey
Language
English
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0253-4.08
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2023
Copyright Information
© 2023 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
Adult Education and Social Justice: International Perspectives
Editors
Maria Slowey, Heribert Hinzen, Michael Omolewa, Michael Osborne
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
324
Publication Year
2023
Copyright Information
© 2023 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0253-4
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0252-7
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0253-4
eISBN (xml)
979-12-215-0254-1
Series Title
Studies on Adult Learning and Education
Series ISSN
2704-596X
Series E-ISSN
2704-5781