Developing Conceptual Literacy in Lifelong Learning Research: A case of responsibility?

Abstract

Abstract The article argues that the nature of lifelong learning research is marked by border crossings that require researchers to be conceptually literate. Two aspects of conceptual literacy are discussed. The first relates to the need to recognise the domain‐specific meanings of concepts. The second relates to the need to recognise how meanings are drawn from, often suppressed, counter‐concepts. The article draws on the fields of adult education, employment and family as key domains of lifelong learning research and explores these issues of literacy through a case study of feminist conceptualisations of responsibility.