A decade ago, the world was not prepared for the widespread impact of the global financial recession. Gradually, the operating focus of higher education sector in many high-income countries around shifted, causing budget-cuts to become a recurring and dominant theme. Yet, at the same time, the expanding middle-class in emerging countries were keen…

The article explores how education promotes social change. Using the philosophical foundations of adult education outlined by Elias and Merriam (2001, "Philosophical foundations of adult education" (3rd ed.), Krieger) as an analytical framework, the article compares the similarities and differences between popular education forms in two…

From the beginning of the 1990s, the Swedish society has been affected by various changes at various levels. This modified social, political and economic context led to several reforms implemented in the educational arena. These reforms dealt with decentralization, choice, use of market forces and privatization. All these aspects had an impact on…

Several recent reports on the status of women in US academic institutions have recommended more generous family policies to encourage and retain more women among academic staffs. Many of the policies suggested are modelled on those that have been in effect in Nordic countries for decades. The status of women among Finnish and Swedish academic…

Describes recent changes in Swedish system of child care and early childhood education and analyzes them in relation to economic and socio-political context. Argues that early childhood education is an important part of the welfare society, which itself is in a state of transition, with neo-liberal ideas and economic constraints implying financial…

This paper reports on research designed to explore the status of children and the relationship of patterns of child care to social structure and social change. The study is based on interviews with scholars and government officials, an analysis of statistical data and research reports, and visits to day care centers, playgrounds, and other…

Social class has strongly influenced the development of social policies about adult education. Present policy discourses are a result of weakening working-class interests.

Examines three themes about the relationship among class origin, education, and class destination in 10 industrial nations. Finds that the patterns of association between class origin and education and between education and class destination are similar across the nations. Presents implications for the study of comparative macrosociology. (CFR)