Gender, Masculinities and Lifelong Learning

Gender, Masculinities and Lifelong Learning reflects on current debates and discourses around gender and education, in which some academics, practitioners and policy-makers have referred to a crisis of masculinity. This book explores questions such as: Are men under-represented in education? Are women outstripping men in terms of achievement? What evidence supports the view that men are becoming educationally disadvantaged?

Drawing on research from a number of countries, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the contributors' discuss a range of issues which intersect with gender to impact on education, including structural factors such as class, ethnicity and age as well as colonisation and migration. The book provides evidence and argument to illuminate contemporary debates about the involvement of men and women in education, including:

• The impact of colonisation on the gendering of education and lifelong learning
• International surveys on men, women and educational participation
• Gender, masculinities and migrants’ learning experiences
• Boys-only classes as a response to ‘the problem of underachieving boys’
• Men’s perspectives on learning to become parents
• Community learning, gender and public policy
• Older men’s perspectives on (re-)entering post-compulsory education

The book goes on to suggest the implications for practice, research and policy. Importantly, it critically addresses some of the taken-for-granted beliefs about men and their engagement in lifelong learning, presenting new evidence to demonstrate the complexity of gender and education today. With these complexities in mind, the authors provide a framework for developing further understanding of the issues involved with gender and lifelong learning.

Gender, Masculinities and Lifelong Learning will be of interest to any practitioner open to fresh ideas and approaches in teaching and programming connected with gender and education.

Marion Bowl is Senior Lecturer in Education and Director of Continuing Professional Development at the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK.

Robert Tobias is Research Fellow at the College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Jennifer Leahy is Lecturer in Adult Education Teaching and Research at the College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Graeme Ferguson is Researcher at the College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Jeffrey Gage is Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences at the Health Sciences Centre, College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.