Editorial: Inclusion, adult education and social justice

Abstract

Policies and practices of inclusion in diverse fields in society have received increasing attention in recent years. Initially, the notion of inclusion was almost exclusively related to the (enhancement) of participation of disabled persons through educational initiatives. In recent decades however, the focus of inclusion policies and practices has systematically broadened, encompassing individuals and groups that are deemed to be in high risk of vulnerability or marginalization, such as persons living under the conditions of migration, unemployment, disability, insufficient literacy skills, disadvantaged communities or poverty, etc. The term social inclusion 'has become a broad spectrum policy organizing and action concept that encompasses all forms of social exclusion and marginalization with a strong poverty-reduction and youthunemployment focus' (Peters & Besley, 2014, p. 108). This widening of scope has been enhanced by the growing interest of international organizations such as UNESCO, OECD, the World Bank and the European Union, but also national governments, that have increasingly become worried about the persistent exclusion of large numbers of individuals and groups from diverse societal domains both in the Global North and South. Policies initially had mainly a welfare character. Later these policies were also enlarging their scope and have fostered a broader understanding of inclusion. In line with this, inclusion has now become part of the discourse of policies and practices such as education, social work, employment, sports and recreation, politics and even in the world of banking fostering 'digital inclusion'. It is connected to discourses on lifelong learning, social cohesion and integration, activation, widening participation, equality/equity, democracy and social justice. Initiatives of inclusion are often a response to processes of social exclusion that can be described as a rupturing of social bonds, which is