From Scholarisation to Social Capital.

The arguments for deschooling expressed by Ivan Illich a quarter of a century ago have relevance today. We are in danger of losing their most salient insights; perhaps because the critique was phrased in this oversimplified binary form, excessive institutionalization should be countered by deinstitutionalization, professionalism by deprofessionalization. Experimentation and challenges to the formal system have resulted, but they have not had a substantial impact on the formal system's character or growth. If such binarism were replaced by a focus on the character and quality of relationships between institutions and between individuals, more positive lines forward might be seen in theory and in policy. The argument can be pursued by reference to social capital. Three scholars dominate the debate. Expositions of James Coleman and Pierre Bourdieu are especially relevant to education and human capital; Robert Putnam's work acts as a more general reference point. The key merit of social capital is its focus on qualities of relationships rather than on individual achievements and attributes. The relationships can be at the individual or collective level. Social capital is relevant to debates on lifelong learning. It encourages a look at education and learning systems in terms of networks rather than hierarchies and builds into the analysis an emphasis on the informal side of learning, as compared with a preoccupation with institutional learning. (Contains 13 references.) (YLB)