The Subcultures and Social Worlds of Adult Education

Is work within adult education, such as teaching, counselling, educational management, able to meet the preconditions of a profession? This is the opening question of my dissertation and it mirrors the century long struggle of adult educators to establish a profession within their working field. There are specific elements defining professions. Traditionally judges and physicians are regarded as typical professions. First findings show that the terms occupation and profession are currently undergoing major changes, a fact which hasnt been taken into consideration sufficiently in adult education research so far. These insights lead to thoughts surrounding a new conceptualisation of profession, which may be helpful for both, the profession itself as well as for research. The suggested concept incorporates rigid and traditional elements of a profession (e.g. occupational profiles, professional association). Additionally, more flexible and open elements are also allowed to fit in a newly understood profession. An open image of profession, as it is suggested, seems very helpful especially for adult education, taking into account its huge heterogeneity: adult education includes inhouse training as well as courses at folk high schools and for the Public Employment Service. Research in adult education so far has had to conclude that Adult Education is too heterogeneous to fit into ready-made definitions of profession. The suggested new image of profession will allow the conception of adult education as profession. The dissertation deals furthermore with the variety of working conditions of adult educators. Two theoretical approaches of describing varieties in adult education are introduced: (1) professional subcultures and (2) social worlds within so-called arenas. On the basis of these one can investigate similarities between subgroups of adult educators, yet also differences which constitute an obstacle for professionalisation can be made visible. What is special about this thesis is that new theories are provided and used as instruments for a more reflective self-understanding of adult education as a profession. The very process of self-understanding of adult education as a discipline is promoted. New contributions to understanding profession and to describing subgroups of adult educator offer a framework for professionalisation. Those new perspectives are not just useful within adult education but also within other professional groups, such as nurses, kindergarten teachers or social workers.