Book Review: The Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education

Abstract

Kasworm, C., Rose, A., & Ross-Gordon, J. (2010). The Handbook of adult and Continuing Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. 493 pp. ISBN 978-1-4129-6050-2 (hardcover) Adult and continuing education is an expansive and rapidly growing academic and practical field. The Handbook of adult and Continuing Education provides a comprehensive examination of the cutting edge research, theoretical developments, and practice-based issues that are important to the field. The field's top scholars and researchers offer critical and insightful perspectives on various topics in adult education, from social justice and diversity to adult education in a changing global society. In addition, this 2010 edition of the Handbook serves as a critical reference for adult educators, students, researchers, and professionals who are interested in adult and continuing education. The essays in this edition not only serve as a foundation for the field, but they also illuminate the progress that has been made in the field and new directions and developments for the future. The Handbook is organized into six distinctive sections that highlight the major areas of research and practice in adult and continuing education. These areas focus on (a) adult learning and the adult learner, (b) theoretical approaches to the field, (c) adult and continuing education as a field of practice, (d) diversity, (e) social justice, and (f) adult education in a global context. The book ends with critical reflections on the major developments in the field and conclusions that illuminate new directions for research and practice in adult and continuing education. A major strength of this handbook is the depth and breadth of content that illustrates the major areas of study and practice in the field as a whole. The opening section of the Handbook centers the general topic of adult learning and the adult learner in contemporary society. These authors highlight the changing face of formal and informal learning contexts, new research in adult development, and recent scholarship on group and organization learning. Following the opening section, adult education scholars reflect on the state of theoretical production in the field. More specifically, these essays speak to the place and importance of theorizing and knowledge production in the field with a focus on policy, international adult education, histories of adult education, and interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks. …