Journal of Education & Social Policy

Growing Up in a Globalised World and Starting Points for Adventure Education
Prof. Dr. Matthias D. Witte

Abstract
Globalisation and corresponding economic, political, social, ecological and cultural changes have radically altered the conditions in which children and young people grow up. Children and young people grow up under complicated, unprecedented circumstances. Modern life seems more complex, ever faster, more challenging and with stronger demands. Thus pedagogy is challenged with the task to provide guidelines for adolescents helping them to get an intellectual and moral grasp on these social changes so that they can play their part in shaping globalisation processes in a competent, responsible manner. This article initially poses the question how globalisation is affecting children's and young people's life worlds. To what extent have their experiences and the conditions in which they grow up changed? There are signs that globalisation is also leading to challenging consequences for relationships and human encounters. The article goes on to study pedagogical considerations which result from these processes of change, showing how adventure education can enable children and young people to become competent engineers of an increasingly networked world.

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