Critical Adult Education in International Perspective

Critical Theory has emphasised the strong connection that has always existed between education and political thought. As a clear example of writing around this issue, by a major exponent of critical theory and politics and the question of power, one need only refer to Theodor Adorno's essay, 'Education after Auschwitz'. This essay, written in light of the rise of and havoc on humanity wreaked by Nazism and Nazification, registers many themes of relevance today. One need only read the work of contemporary social critic Henry A. Giroux (b. 1943) to gauge the merits and pertinence of Adorno and other critical theorists such as Herbert Marcuse and Jürgen Habermas to see the mileage such essays have for the current spectre of a New Fascism hovering over the contemporary world. Henry Giroux and his great friend and colleague ─ the late Roger I. Simon ─ are prominent exponents of the area, which is the subject of (a) public lecture (Critical Adult Education in International Perspective) , (b) a work-shop with Students of the Master_programm in ALE and VET (Mapping out critical ALE), and (c) the mentoring program for the assistant professor Dr. Cennamo.