Researching gender in adult learning/ESREA

The conference is organized by European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA) Network on Gender and Adult Learning in co-operation with the University of Warmia nad Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland. First two conferences of the Network were held in Bochum (1999) and Geneva (2001). A book was published in 2003 incorporating papers from the two conferences: DYBBROE Betina, OLLAGNIER Edmée Ed. (2003) Challenging gender in lifelong learning: european perspectives, Copenhagen, Roskilde University Press. The third meeting took place in Wroclaw (2004) as an ESREA post-conference seminar. The fourth conference was held again in Geneva (2005).

Continuing this tradition and previous discussions in Geneva, this coming conference which will take place from Monday morning 9^th to Wednesday 11^th morning (or noon) of July 2007.

We will provide a forum for interdisciplinary discussions, again focused on researching gender, and particularly on:

• Methodological issues for gender research in adult education and learning, and the roots of methodology in gender studies applied to adult education.
• Different types of interviews, biographies, transcripts, observations, virtual interviews, focus group, action-research and others.
• Strength and weaknesses of these different approaches for gender studies in adult learning and education.
• Exploring gender in the structures and relationships of educational institutions. Gendered relationships in training, integration of gender in the academic curriculum and gender as an issue for all adult educators.
• Research designs that are inclusive in relation to gender themes and approaches that are specifically helpful to get gendered data.

The Conference will provide space to engage with these and similar issues in workshops and plenary sessions, will be a forum for researchers to facilitate cooperation, exchange knowledge and experience, and to integrate PhD students into the field.