Across the world, adult learning is undergoing profound shifts driven by social, technological, ecological, and political change. This occurs against a background of global unrest, wars, and new political, social, and economic changes linked to neoliberalism, the far right, and popularism, which are undermining and challenging democracy. In neo‑liberal times adult education has become marketised, individualised, and competitive, viewed in economic terms rather than as a social and public good. Digitalisation, demographic transitions, labour‑market reconfigurations, migration, and widening social inequalities continue reshaping the conditions under which adults learn, participate, and shape new identities. At the same time, community movements and new learning spaces open possibilities for transformation of individuals, institutions, and societies.
A broader crisis of traditional points of reference concerning the role of subjectivity within wider ecosystems—often associated with sustainability—reshapes current scenarios for adult‑ and higher education and the construction of individual meaning. The dimension of the future—individual, collective, and ecosystemic—becomes crucial: a threatening future, but also a horizon for rethinking what it means to be human beings embedded in increasing social, environmental, and technological complexity.
As adult educators we need to reflect on how adult education can provide and build a space for transformation and changing identities. Learning institutions can be viewed as transitional spaces enabling individuals to reflect on their past and present biography while imagining a future biography of who they want to be and become. A transitional space implies being in‑between in terms of identity, letting go of part or all of a present identity. Once a learning journey has begun, it may not be easy, as some struggle with internal and external constraints while others remain determined to develop a learning identity. Issues of class, gender, race, and age may shape educational spaces, affecting identities, transformations, and relationships with family, friends, and community.
We want to focus on adult education in its broadest sense and across contexts such as further and higher education, adult education, community education, workplace learning, and non‑formal and informal learning. We want to explore these contexts and spaces and their possibilities for changing identities and transformations.