17: Bulgaria: adult learning system as a bricolage in the context of overlapping modernities

The chapter proposes both a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for better understanding of the tension-driven development of the Bulgarian adult Learning System (ALS) throughout the last three decades. Theoretically, it relies on a combination of insights from an institutionalist perspecti...

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Bibliografiske detaljer
Main Authors: Boyadjieva, Pepka, Ilieva-Trichkova, Petya
Format: Online
Sprog:engelsk
Udgivet: Edward Elgar Publishing 2025
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Online adgang:https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/166355
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Summary:The chapter proposes both a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for better understanding of the tension-driven development of the Bulgarian adult Learning System (ALS) throughout the last three decades. Theoretically, it relies on a combination of insights from an institutionalist perspective as applied in sociological studies of education and a historical institutional perspective. The study differentiates four periods in the development of the Bulgarian ALS, based on two criteria: (a) important societal events, and (b) crucial national initiatives related to the development of adult learning. The empirical analysis reveals the low effectiveness of the ALS in Bulgaria. Throughout the whole period Bulgaria remains among the countries with the lowest participation rate in adult learning and significant social inequalities in educational opportunities. It is argued that the Bulgarian case suggests that ALS in countries under political and economic transition and with significant socio-economic inequalities are not only embedded in but imprisoned by the social environment.