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Learning and Experience: A Psycho-Societal Approach

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The Palgrave International Handbook on Adult and Lifelong Education and Learning

Abstract

This chapter introduces a psycho-societal approach to theorizing learning, combining a materialist theory of socialization with a hermeneutic interpretation methodology. The term ‘approach’ indicates the intrinsic connection between theory, empirical research process, and epistemic subject. Learning is theorized as a dynamic subjective experience of (socially situated) realities, relying on individual subjectivity as well as subjective aspects of social interaction. This psycho-societal theory of subjective experiences conceptualizes individual psychic development as interactional experience of societal relations, producing an inner psycho-dynamics as a conscious and unconscious individual resource in future life. The symbolization of immediate sensory experiences forms an individual life experience of social integration, and language use being the medium of collective, social experience (knowledge, culture). This life experience remains a (hidden) potential in all future experience building.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Roskilde University, Roskilde, P.O. Box 260 4000, Denmark

    Henning Salling Olesen

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  1. Henning Salling Olesen
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Correspondence to Henning Salling Olesen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Marcella Milana

  2. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Sue Webb

  3. School of Education, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    John Holford

  4. Department of Education and Childhood, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom

    Richard Waller

  5. Department of Politics, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom

    Peter Jarvis

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Salling Olesen, H. (2018). Learning and Experience: A Psycho-Societal Approach. In: Milana, M., Webb, S., Holford, J., Waller, R., Jarvis, P. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook on Adult and Lifelong Education and Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55783-4_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55783-4_10

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-55782-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-55783-4

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