Adult' learning as prerequisites for civic society in the context of multiculturism

Abstract

It seems that contemporary world is characterized with both changes, and reflection about these changes, moreover, as Giddens (Giddens, 1992) noticed, reflexivity is being institutionalized at the moment. Therefore, conscious and responsible discussions of the processes that we witness are one of the main qualities that any adult, and especially adult educators should be involved into. Moreover, discussions and critical reflection upon diverse reality is as the feature of critical thinker, as it is a feature of the person, who constructs one's identity consciously (Brookfield, 1995). As a new member of the European Union, both Lithuanian (Population: 3,7 million inhabitants; area: 65 thousand sq, km,) state, and its citizens are challenged by a number of new responsibilities and the ability to exercise these responsibilities is to be acquired. One of these new responsibilities is to exercise national and global citizenship adequately, and to initiate reflection on these issues in the process of educating future adult educators, Aim of this paper is to identify the interface between learning and citizenship and to present results of extensive empiric research that aimed at identifying whether adults in Lithuania attribute to 'learning' function of 'becoming and acting as citizen', and what suggestions for improving adults' orientation to active citizenship in the context of multiculturism do future adult educators have. Methods of literature, documents, and two-stage empirical research (questionnaire and focus group) were employed in the process,