Globalization and Adult Education in the South

Abstract

In today's deceptive and selectively globalized world, education is one of the most crucial and critical resources for acquiring the skills and capabilities needed to function in competitive capitalist job markets. Global capitalism and its disequalizing dynamics (Alam, 2003) reflect major structural imbalances in the distribution of global resources. Deficits in international trade and investment have resulted in limited employment opportunities in the South (which we will interchangeably call low-income countries). Furthermore, professionals and skilled workers, the core human resource for economic and social development, are leaving in droves for better life opportunities in Europe and North America; those without the requisite internationally recognized skills are using adult education to reskill themselves or upgrade their academic credentials to enter these lucrative labor markets.