This book, which is based on a broad concept of adult education that embraces all forms of organized learning undertaken by adults, draws on empirical information and case studies to provide a theory of applied political economy to explain the interface between society and adult education in developing countries. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) the political economy approach (Marxist political economy and recent critiques of Marxism); (2) the political economy of adult education (the radical tradition in adult education, political economies of adult education); (3) adult education and development theory (modernization theory, dependency theory, neoliberal theory, populism, political economy); (4) imperialism, aid, and adult education (aid as imperialism, aid and adult education, a research agenda on aid and adult education, aid to Botswana's adult education sector, Botswana's National Literacy Programme); (5) social inequality and adult education (social inequality in peripheral capitalism, social inequality and adult education, a research agenda on social inequality and adult education, and a case study of class and adult education in Botswana); and (6) the state, civil society, and adult education (a research agenda and a case study of the state, adult education, and adult education campaigns and programs in Botswana). (Contains 363 references.) (MN)