International Organizations and Lifelong Learning: From Global Agendas to Policy Diffusion »

ANJA P. JAKOBI is Senior Researcher at the TranState Research Center at University of Bremen, Germany.

In recent years, lifelong learning has become one of the most prominent education policy goals. This book shows how international organizations have promoted this idea and disseminated the need for it to countries all over the world. As a consequence of their activity, lifelong learning has become a central element of modern education policy.This book analyzes the global spread of lifelong learning policies since the 1970s, emphasizing the role of international organizations.

1 Introduction : the global interest in education policy 1

2 Tracing global governance : policy development in an international arena 17

3 World time : international developments in education policy from the 1970s to the 1990s 49

4 World action : international networks for promoting lifelong learning 66

5 Consequences : national lifelong learning agendas 104

6 Implications : a tool for progress and a symbol of modernity 148

7 Conclusion : studying global policy development 163

Annex 1 Additional information - chapter 4 176

Annex 2 Additional information - chapter 5 177

Annex 3 Methodology 182

Annex 4 Definition of independent variables 185

Notes 189

References 197

Index 223