e extent, the learning that goes on in adulthood can be understood through an examination of the social context in which it occurs" (Merriam & Caffarella, 6).
This suggests that, in the American culture of the 21st century, the image of an adult is expanding to one of increasing individuation due to the expansiveness of civilization with its stratification and specialization.
The "typical" adult (chronologically defined) now has exposure to so many different identities that it is impossible to include them all in ego-synthesis. Individuals are increasingly adopting different elements into their ego-syntheses, providing increased individuation within our society, consciously separating themselves from others and certain rituals of mass culture. For instance, Merriam (1993), in her compendium of varying educational theories implies by her editorial selection of authors that a vital part of human development is learning to be able to relate to, and deal with, change.
Change is everywhere. It is inescapable. Hardly a day goes by without news of the new world economy or the shift from a production to a service orientation. Indeed, change is necessary to survive in an uncertain world. Also, today's business environment (the realm of the "typical" adult) is highly competitive. Because of the sweeping effects of change and competition, a great deal of interest has been placed on higher education and lifelong learning.
Consequently, business is turning to training in order to cut costs and increase productivity among employees. However, in the rush to train and educate people, many organizations have failed to treat the evaluation of such training as a priority. At best, the evaluation of training has been a perfunctory task with little analysis and usefulness. Yet evaluating the effectiveness of costly training efforts is paramount to the success of any program.
Theories and Research for Adult Learning
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