Introduction
The book by Peter Jarvis “Globalization, Lifelong Learning and the Learning Society: Sociological Perspectives: 2″ is a research book that provides an overall perspective on the value of education. Moreover, the main arguments stated in the book give grounds to suppose adaptation to a changing world is needful among human beings. In this respect, Peter Jarvis wants to debate on this persuasively giving theoretical basis to state that lifelong education provides a scope of tactics that are needful for a person not to lag behind over time. Hence, the central question in the book points out the usefulness of lifelong learning that encompasses the experience and aptness to match the requirements of time and society. The book is useful for a wide range of readers, including students, professionals, and scientists.
Professor Peter Jarvis is one of the contemporary most outstanding speakers and theorists in education. His work and experience proved the idea of his respectful and state-of-the-art attitudes toward new intentions in learning throughout globalization. His studies and lectures on lifelong education are fully based on his more than 50 years of experience (Routledge, 2009). Currently, Professor Peter Jarvis heads the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Surrey, whereas previously he headed the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Georgia (Routledge, 2009). Along with such respectful academic positions, Peter Jarvis is desired to hold professorship in the City University in London and across the Continent as well (Routledge, 2009).
Turning back to the work of Professor Jarvis, the specialty of the book is in its style that interacts with scientific approach along with publicly comprehensive estimation and explanation of the main features. Thereupon, the book is structured in order to make a reader conscious about the nature of contemporary education as compared with past experience materialized in present and longing for the future. In other words, Peter Jarvis masterly observes such aspects of lifelong learning as concerned with social, structural, and global contexts (Jarvis, 2007). The author leans toward the extrinsic outlook of learning that became transformed due to various factors moving progress in different spheres of life forward. Further still, the author provides a logical narrative and examination of facts and arguments that are compiled into an inseparable unity.
Summary
Lifelong learning in the social context
The chapter is devoted to the social implications of learning and education at all. In fact, the division of this very chapter grasps an idea of social and sociological theories. It is covered by sub-points in the chapter, namely:
- Theory of lifelong learning;
- The social process of learning;
- Human learning within power relationships;
- Sociological theories and learning (Jarvis, 2007).
The construct of the chapter is imposed through step-by-step discussion outlined in the conclusion at the end of the chapter. Thus, it makes the conversation between the author and a reader with more points to convey the main idea.
Social processes of learning are discussed in the chapter with emphasis on the coherence that is observed in norms and rules individuals follow in the society. This is why the author underlines that social consciousness should drive individuals toward more adaptation. The latter is concerned with transformation of experiences people have implied through their life span (Jarvis, 2007). Thus, taking different situations for granted, people learn how to live. However, without special knowledge gained via educational establishments and communication people cannot go further in their growth.
Giving meaning to sensation provides a positive result for a new man who has gone through several stages of renovation, such as theoretical mention and practical check-out. In the course of time, it becomes a strong motivation to grow intellectually. However, as Jarvis admits, the disjuncture may occur easily when people either have no idea about the meaning people used to give around, or cannot give it themselves (Jarvis, 2007). Self-perception, ability to communicate with individuals, aptness at adjusting personal experience to new conditions of time – all these features characterize a person as socially conscious. To say more, the author takes a specific look at the nature of different assumptions coming from lack of knowledge to explain or get a situation or an event, or a thing right. “There is a sense in which learning occurs whenever harmony between our biography (past experience) and our experience of the ‘now’ needs to be established” (Jarvis, 2007, p. 4).
Thus, the author replicates the reality of everyday life each day of which is another “brick” to construct a building called “life.” Such assumptions, however, might be well-crafted. In other words, Jarvis claims for letting peoples’ experience go through three components of innermost intentions, namely:
- Thoughts;
- Actions;
- Emotions (Jarvis, 2007).
Nevertheless, bodily sensations emerging in life should contemplate also the personal experience of an individual when confronting the external reality fixed inwardly. With some new pieces of experienced individuals are motivated to ruminate over it through and through, thus, agreeing, rejecting, or criticizing such an experience at once. It also requires individuals to accept some new sensations as a part of personal experience. Changes constantly stimulate people to conform to new realities of their living. Notwithstanding the coloring of such transformations, individuals are eager to do some arrangements. It is so due to the fact that people cannot just “disengage from social living” (Jarvis, 2007, p. 5). It is vital to admit that three components of a person – body, mind, and self – are underlined as the parts of human beings being mostly influenced as the years go by.
Human learning within a global context
The chapter embodies several sub-points following the main idea of lifelong learning in terms of the process of globalization, such as:
- Social change;
- Globalization;
- Factors contributing to globalization;
- The globalization process;
- Factors influencing the globalization process (Jarvis, 2007).
The basis of the chapter considers author’s thoughts on the significance to learn in terms of constant challenges inquired in changing society. In this respect Peter Jarvis sees the main reason to adapt toward learning techniques and their new implementations because of the globalization. It is meant here that with the technological and scientific progress the mankind first felt the need to learn more. It was obvious day by day, and individuals could not delay this process. It is better to say that those having lagged behind became not that interesting or significant for society. Globalization made the geographical boundaries almost trite for human beings. It contributed to the emergence of new generation of people able to realize the “weight” of knowledge to be learned in order to become up-and-coming among the peers and other people on the whole.
Lifelong learning and learning society have already crossed the borders globally (Jarvis, 2007). It is a constant process that is shared and supported by new investigations and inventions of the time. Taking a glance at the society historically, the author provides time frame to better understand the reasons for globalization to come. In fact, the global forces are thought by the author to be the main stimuli for the creation of new learning models (Jarvis, 2007). This idea runs the gamut of how Jarvis comments on globalization as a prerequisite of new learning styles and techniques. Peter Jarvis expresses his deep persuasion in the fact that if not he globalization was that tremendously spreading worldwide; humanity would not go faster in its development. Thereupon, different processes took place in different countries. One of the main is the internationalization of culture (Jarvis, 2007). On the other hand, the institutionalization of different branches of the economy is the result of new standards in learning society.
Commenting on the attributes emphasizing learning as such, the author delineates the ability of a person to place him/her amidst the precursors for the change. Furthermore, individuals are considered to be ranked according to their level of belonging to the globalized environment, so to speak. It is a concept that Jarvis accounts to be mirrored to the civilized and, what is more, highly democratized societies. The universal character of change is not that similar, however, in different countries. Peter Jarvis looks at such a situation through the constructiveness of the most significant for the society features of positive development.
Coming from the West in 1970s, globalization patterned the scope of countries where new standards in education became viable. The capitalist system needed more enthusiasm in educating people still thinking and doing in a bit obsolete manner. As strange as it may seem at a glance, the financial capital became a forcing power for generating and verifying intellectual capital (Jarvis, 2007). Thus, any hesitation or movement in the field of finance cannot fail to be reflected in the educational institution. This algorithm the author considers as taken for granted.
The learning society
This part of the book takes notice of the generalities of the society that is inclined to gain knowledge and education on the whole. Such an aspect of Jarvis’s book relies on several additional points:
- The concept of learning;
- The learning society;
- The learning organization;
- The learning city/region (Jarvis, 2007).
First of all, the author makes a difference in evaluating the concept of learning. It is generally treated that learning and education are united in their conceptual unity and similar objectivities. Peter Jarvis provides some corrections for observers and learners not to trap into the pit of fallacies. Nonetheless, Jarvis reckons two concepts – learning and education – separately. It does not mean that they are no longer related in their meaning. The extent of their difference touches upon their functional peculiarities. Thus, the author sets the parallels between the processes of education and learning as similar to provision and consumption respectively (Jarvis, 2007).
The same idea is about the destination of education as the set of methods and approaches to attract a person. Therefore, learning is a so-called “oblation” of a person pertaining to the societal norms of education. In addition, learning process stimulates the development and accumulation of new knowledge, skills, attitudes that are considered to be beyond the standards of education (Jarvis, 2007). This contemplates the extraordinary nature of learning.
The issue of learning society is cornerstone in terms of Jarvis’s discussion about the needful transformations in the society. Learning society is a developing society capable of having the best practices in doing something. The author infers that learning society provides more grounds to thrive (Jarvis, 2007). It is no surprise that knowledge implemented in practice is a valuable product of contemporary post-industrial society. Information drives the economical mechanism in any country. Thus, there should be more opportunities for individuals to gain knowledge equally. This prospect correlates any contradiction about learning standards for learning society toward logical evidence of new interests among individuals. It is appropriate hereby to state that governments are highly interested in the overall intellectual growth across the country, as a prerequisite of further dominance over other countries. Thus, learning society is a term that emphasizes tacit knowledge as the basis for collective participation in state-related affairs.
Learning organizations, as Jarvis remarks, provide learning opportunities for a person, which in turn impact self-enrichment and different values emerging in an individual. Thus, special attention is paid to the concept of organizations that dwell on the implementation of lifelong learning perspectives for individuals. By contrast, the idea of organizational (structural) type of learning surpasses the wide range of different instances that generate education and learning prospects throughout communities, districts, cities, states, etc. The author is inclined to mention learning society as a unity of different sub-structural parts which in sum bring their substantial mite in the process of formation of learning society.
Lifelong learning
This constituent part of the book relates to the main objective implied in the book. In this respect the author describes lifelong learning and its peculiarities in detail. It is done so that an observer could derive benefit out of the book as such. The main parts of the chapter encompass:
- A new social movement;
- Lifelong learning as a commodity;
- Lifelong learning (recurrent education);
- The value of lifelong learning;
- Lifelong learning and the life cycle;
- Learning and demography (Jarvis, 2007).
Lifelong learning is the topic that encounters both social and economical factors in the state’s internal and external relationships. In this respect the social character of the term covers the attributes of different values appropriate for people living in the huge area. This contemplates that lifelong learning is the process that signifies entirely the set of priorities and prescriptions characterizing the society on the whole. Peter Jarvis illuminates ostensive facts that state in favor of the implementation of lifelong education as one of the main traits in an individual. It also means that people strive to keep up with time and everything that characterizes it.
The author insists on the popularization of lifelong learning as the inquiry of new time (Jarvis, 2007). Moreover, lifelong learning is the real breakthrough of time for every individual to follow. The economical constituent of lifelong learning is in its motivational value for individuals. Hence, fulfilling some definite niche in the society people are inclined to reach out feeling of self-enrichment. On the other hand, all individuals are trying to magnify their significance by doing their best in the field of their activities. The external influence can be concerned hereby with the collective appreciation or positive feedbacks, etc. Making personal qualification higher, guarantees that the economy of the country will be driven by professionals (Jarvis, 2007). What is more, this can be predicted in terms of the life cycle which serves as the base for individuals to learn from the past to make some more for the future.
Life-wide learning
The peculiarity of this characterization of learning is that it is measured in the range of places to learn. In fact, it corresponds to the horizontal evaluation of learning perspectives. The main issues discussed in this chapter are:
- Individual learning in everyday life;
- Learning in communities of practice;
- Learning in the workplace;
- Social and personal identity (Jarvis, 2007).
Knowledge transmissions and cultural projects that are significant to drive the intellectual and financial variables in the country are concerned with the approaches taken to materialize those in the short or in the long run (Jarvis, 2007). This idea is seen in the example of how individuals can attain self-enrichment and self-esteem of each individual having intentions to make his/her country or community prosper. In this respect the author inspects the life-wide features of learning point by point. Everyday life of a person is full of communication and events that impact his/her consciousness. This is why an individual intentionally or unintentionally becomes a so-called victim of educational influence on the part of other individuals. Such situations happen in the workspace, when having leisure time, at home, or somewhere else.
The continuum of life-wide learning is entire, for life represents a huge scope of opportunities and ways to undertake them for an individual. Thus, Jarvis highlights there should not be any neglect of the innovations in learning throughout the multitude of possibilities aimed at a person’s self-perfection (Jarvis, 2007). The implications of life-wide learning provoke the emergence of a new form of a dialogue between the bearers of knowledge and those being eager to accumulate them. In terms of many-faceted nature of the environment a man has no longer any knowledge deficits. Here, governmental and private funding plays really important role. It is outlined, therefore, that personal identity and coloring of the society should also promote the cultural aspects for life-wide learning, in particular. Life-wide learning, thus, should benefit every person, and the public authority should verify it perpetually (Jarvis, 2007).
Conclusion
Thus, the value of the book by Peter Jarvis is in its argument-based reflection of the author on education that goes hand in hand with the world experience at present. The significance of the text lies in its practical use. Nonetheless, it is valuable, for it can give more justifications of how one should address personal skills and knowledge to the requirements of time. All in all, the peculiarity of the author’s style to communicate with a reader stimulates to grab special attention to the intellectual heritage of the society and a person’s role in this complicated process. The limitations of the text are concerned with the predominant one-sidedness (pro-Western) of the approach that Jarvis has taken into consideration. The question is that the Asian experience, for instance, is different a bit in the implementation of education and lifelong learning in terms of historical and philosophical approaches. This book is better to be recommended to undergraduates and people who are eager to boost their personal educational background.
Reference
Jarvis, P. (2007). Globalization, Lifelong Learning and the Learning Society: Sociological Perspectives: 2. London: Routledge.
Routledge. (2009). Interview 4: Professor Peter Jarvis. Web.