ABSTRACT
This chapter explores research and literature on mature women students within adult and continuing education. Micro and macro sociological theories are integrated to look at how past biographies and gender, class, age and race have impacted upon women’s present social world of university life, family, and in some cases, employment. While recognising that structural forces such as gender, class and race have played a central role in shaping their lives and experiences in initial schooling, work and marriage, within these constraints, women were able to construct and change their lives in a positive way through learning at degree level. Differences can be identified in terms of mode of study, age, gender, class and ethnicity. S. Weil’s research documents the learning experiences in forming the ‘learner identity’ of non-traditional adult students, women, working-class and black people, from the perspectives of the students.
