The Lifelong Learning Policies in England and Japan : A Means of Building Social Capital?(Part 2 Articles and Conference Papers)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between 'lifelong learning' and 'social capital' in the context of England and Japan. The paper discusses whether the current lifelong learning policies of the countries are generating social capital. The paper argues that the two countries' lifelong learning policies are not necessarily contributing to the building of social capital. In England, the over-emphasis on skills and the over-simplification of the inclusion policies conflict with a criterion of social capital, 'social connections'; and in Japan, the spiritual approach and the inexperience of democratic processes conflict with a criterion of social capital, 'a public good' aspect. The two countries have different obstacles, but the common difficulty is about 'measurement.