Learning Society in a Postmodern World

The Author: Kenneth Wain is Professor of Education at the University of Malta, where he has also served as Dean. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy of education from the University of London, Great Britain. In addition to numerous articles in professional journals, he is the author of The Maltese National Curriculum: A Critical Evaluation, The Value Crisis, Philosophy of Lifelong Education, and Theories of Teaching.

«‘The Postmodern Society in a Postmodern World’ is a scholarly yet accessible work that adopts a critical attitude to the most pressing questions concerning the learning society. It is an original and tough-minded contribution to this significant and vexing subject – a work that is likely to become a standard in the literature.» (Prof. Michael A. Peters, Professor of Education, The University of Glasgow)«One of the most striking features of educational policy and practice over the past decade has been the rise of lifelong learning. Yet there can be few ideas that stand more in need of careful analysis. This is exactly what Kenneth Wain provides in this book. He brings to his topic a depth of scholarship that charts the development of lifelong learning from lifelong education, drawing on the work of Alasdair MacIntyre and Jürgen Habermas, as well as a range of poststructuralist thinkers. Lifelong learning emerges as an element in globalisation, while the peculiarly postmodern nature of the term is revealed as a critical factor in the equivocations of policy. Anyone interested in the future of lifelong learning, and in its subtle redefining of the public sphere, has much to gain from this fascinating discussion.» (Dr Paul Standish, University of Dundee)