Open AccessRethinking generic skills
Author(s) -
Roy Canning
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the european journal for research on the education and learning of adults
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.277
H-Index - 8
ISSN - 2000-7426
DOI - 10.3384/rela.2000-7426.rela9012
Subject(s) - individualism , discipline , sociology , european union , epistemology , core (optical fiber) , methodological individualism , pedagogy , political science , social science , computer science , business , telecommunications , philosophy , law , economic policy
The paper provides a critical analysis of the notion of generic or transversal skillscontained with European Union policy discourses. The author presents a conceptualframework that challenges the idea that generic skills are universal, transferable andautonomous. An alternative analysis is put forward that argues the case forcontextualising skills and knowledge within particular understandings and cultures thatare more collective than individualistic in nature. The arguments are framed withinwider cross-disciplinary debates in linguistics, geosemiotics and social-cultural theoryand build upon an earlier paper exploring core skills in the UK (Canning, 2007)