Due to global transformation caused by digitalization, migration and changes in labor market, the need for adult literacy education has become part of adapting to contemporary life. The paper claims that if adult literacy education wants to achieve lifelong learning, it should pay attention to the fact that it is a kind of sociocultural phenomenon. Skills approach to literacy, which has had an impact in policy circles, breaks literacy down into skills that can be measured, such as reading and writing for economic reasons. It ignores the complexities of everyday literacy activities such as building relationships or forming an identity. Sociological or anthropological perspective take a dynamic view of literacy and do not overlook the experiences of multiliteracies-digital literacy-and this view includes lifelong learning because of its emphasis on: 1. Literacy education is recognized as a lifelong process (UNESCO, 2022); 2. Motivation from inside, based on genuine needs such as caring; 3. To enhance agency and participation so as to empower those who have been excluded, but hegemonic policies are either literate or illiterate, job or employment focused. The article concludes that there needs to be a shift in policy with a whole and context-based approach that takes into account different pathways.
Shi Chenyue (Wed,) studied this question.