The Foundations of Adult Education in Canada. 2nd ed.

K. Lynn Taylor is coordinator of the Instructional Development Program
in the Centre for Higher Education, University of Manitoba.

The roles of adult educators in Canada are changing and becoming more
diverse as the practice community responds to demands for literacy and
basic education, community development, workplace training and
retraining, lifelong learning, and personal development. In these
changing times, The Foundations of Adult Education in Canada provides a
scholarly, comprehensive, and well-researched examination of the
political, social, and cultural foundations of adult education in
Canada. This single volume defines the field of adult education,
describes the history of adult education in French and English Canada,
characterizes adult education participants, examines philosophical
considerations, outlines the principles of program design, and discusses
the evolution and implications of public policy. It focuses on the
politics and sociology of adult education, and argues for the
consolidation of the many different forms and sources of adult education
within this foundational structure in order to strengthen the field as a
whole.

For more experienced adult educators, the book provides a richly
detailed textbook or reference source. Its valuable bibliography appears
in footnotes throughout the text, rather than as a more accessible list
of references. Students, or those new to the field of adult education,
would benefit from a companion volume, such as Bruce Spencer’s The
Purposes of Adult Education: A Guide for Students  (1998).

The Foundations of Adult Education in Canada builds a comprehensive
context in which members of the fragmented adult education practice
community can find their roots, and in which newcomers to adult
education can acquire a genuine sense of the field. In a world where
competition for funding, increased use of communication technologies,
and demands for specific kinds of education can narrow our focus, the
broad philosophical and historical perspectives presented remind
practitioners of shared principles that might guide the evolution of
adult education.