A Review of Lifelong Learning as Natural and Cultural Phenomenon

Lifelong learning is mostly analysed as political and educational concept. However it is worth to look at it through different lenses, namely, the cultural ones. After short description of natural basis to learning in life span, especially neuroplasticity of the brain, cultural dimensions of the process are discussed. The author took anthropologist point of view first, to see the concept as a whole – separate culture (values, language, symbols, rites of passage). Then, humanistic and neoliberal discourse (commonly called paradigm shift) of lifelong learning is shown as some kind of sub-cultures, where issues of values, human position in both stances. Strong and multidimensional relations between culture and lifelong learning are underlined. In the end an attempt to answer a question – “what varieties of lifelong learning culture can we speak about?” is taken.