The recent debate on active citizenship and adult education has been strongly underpinned by the discussion on how active citizenship could be exercised in a way that would promote inclusion and participation. The paper focuses on the role of adult educators in encouraging young adults in vulnerable life situations to become active citizens specifically through two empirical cases, from Finland and England (UK). The central questions the paper seeks to answer are: how do adult educators conceptualise vulnerability, and how do they see their role as facilitating young adults' active citizenship through their teaching? The consideration of socio-cultural, socio-economic and political dimensions of active participatory citizenship provides the conceptual lens to explore young adults’ participation in different social contexts. The analysis of the case studies supports the argument that active participatory citizenship is indirectly rather than directly included in the education and training of vulnerable young adults. This leads the article to highlight the adult educators’ mediation work in facilitating the socio-economic and political dimensions of active participatory citizenship in interaction with the students. Their mediator role is broadly invisible and in contrast with the ideal of adult education as the straightforward path to socio-economic citizenship and employability.

中文翻译：

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了解脆弱性并鼓励年轻人通过教育成为积极的公民：成人教育专业人员的作用

最近关于积极公民身份和成人教育的辩论得到了关于如何以促进包容和参与的方式行使积极公民身份的讨论的有力支持。本文着重于成人教育者在鼓励处于脆弱生活状态的年轻人成为活跃公民方面的作用，特别是通过来自芬兰和英国（英国）的两个经验案例。本文试图回答的核心问题是：成人教育者如何将脆弱性概念化，以及他们如何看待他们的作用，通过他们的教学来促进年轻人的积极公民身份？积极参与公民身份的社会文化，社会经济和政治方面的考虑为探索年轻人在不同社会背景下的参与提供了概念上的视角。对案例研究的分析支持以下论点：积极参与的公民身份是间接地而不是直接包括在易受伤害的年轻人的教育和培训中。这导致本文着重强调成人教育工作者在与学生互动中促进积极参与公民身份的社会经济和政治层面的调解工作。他们的调解人角色几乎是无形的，与成人教育的理想形成鲜明对比，后者是通往社会经济公民身份和就业能力的直接途径。这导致本文着重强调成人教育工作者在与学生互动中促进积极参与公民身份的社会经济和政治层面的调解工作。他们的调解人角色几乎是无形的，与成人教育的理想形成鲜明对比，后者是通往社会经济公民身份和就业能力的直接途径。这导致本文着重强调成人教育工作者在与学生互动中促进积极参与公民身份的社会经济和政治层面的调解工作。他们的调解人角色几乎是无形的，与成人教育的理想形成鲜明对比，后者是通往社会经济公民身份和就业能力的直接途径。