The Sociology of Adult & Continuing Education

Chapter Six

The Content of the Curriculum

Few studies in the education of adults have concerned themselves specifically with curriculum content although the topic has arisen in a variety of published material, so that while no attempt is made here to examine every reference to it, it is essential to explore much of it in order to highlight some of the sociological issues involved. Much recent debate in the sociology of education, however, has focused upon the sociology of knowledge and this was stimulated by the symposium edited by Young (1971). Indeed, Flew (1976:20) has accused him of trying to place the sociology of knowledge in the centre of the sociology of education. While there is little or no evidence to support Flew’s accusation, it ...