Download or read book Researching Learning Cultures and Educational Identities in Communities written by Carrie Birch and published by Niace. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book about the connections between social and educational inequalities in the UK. It draws on empirical research into how these inequalities impact lives, particularly those of adults who, having left school with few or no qualifications, are likely to suffer social exclusion. Through life histories, the research explores early educational experiences and their effect on identities in adult life, perspectives on learning, and the impact of learning cultures. The book explores a long-standing concern of UK stakeholders in adult lifelong learning: why mainstream provisions apparently do not always succeed in re-engaging and retaining adults who left school without qualifications. These are adults who live in communities suffering social exclusion - a flawed term in social policy, not least because it implies and reinforces a sense of a 'them vs. us' division in UK society. The research is significant because the findings challenge current assumptions about perspectives of learning, framed by the real-life experiences of people excluded from adult learning and its benefits. Moreover, the book adds to the research about adult lifelong learning in ways that may bring a more informed view of this problem. It presents key messages on the need to support learning transitions throughout life, on the impact of appropriate curriculum design, and the pedagogy to meet the learning needs of groups of adults who are not visible. (Series: The Impact of Adult Learning)