Lifelong Learning and Dementia

“This ground-breaking book uses posthuman perspectives to offer an imaginative, ethical and affirmative alternative to current approaches to dementia. Its novel theorisation is put to work with a range of empirical instances which show the value of re-thinking life-long learning as a vital, open and inclusive engagement with matter.” —Carol A. Taylor, University of Bath, UK
This book explores the potential for lifelong learning in dementia. A growing social issue, dementia has previously been understood as a wasteland for learning: at best, those with dementia are helped to hold on to some pre-existing skills. This book draws on extensive qualitative data with people with dementia and their families to demonstrate that new forms of learning can happen in dementia, with positive outcomes for both the learner and those around them. In doing so, this book demonstrates that those with dementia help us to understand learning differently, thus providing a breakthrough in our understanding and theorising of lifelong learning. Using posthuman theory to scaffold and discuss the findings, this pioneering book will appeal to scholars of dementia, lifelong learning and the posthuman. 

Jocey Quinn is Professor of Education at the University of Plymouth, UK. Her research focuses on adults in post-compulsory and informal contexts and on issues of knowledge transformation and social justice.

Claudia Blandon is Research Assistant at the University of Plymouth, UK. Her research interests focus on education, evaluation research and the learning that occurs in contexts of displacement.