Abstract: The relevance of the existing processes of change returns visibility to the Mediterranean both as a geographical area and in its various cultural forms. This double relevance justifies a sociological review of related educational issues. Moving from a perspective that considers education as a dynamic element, closely connected to the complex socio-cultural Mediterranean context, the aim of this paper is to reconstruct the outstanding features of the Mediterranean area and to provide a possible contribution to a more human evolution of the present social context, through the achievement of a socialization model based on the person and the improvement of relational dynamics. It focuses on an analytical perspective as opposed to perspectives which consider the subject as a variable dependent on the context. In the first part we provide the most important contributions to the Mediterranean question, while the second section raises some important cultural questions. The conclusions consider the prevailing educational model and trace the main features of a new alternative.

The validation of non-formal and informal learning has been part of the European Union political agenda since 2001. The paper presents the results of an action-research project about how the University can reconcile considerations of the strategic value of non-formal and informal knowledge in the perspective of lifelong learning. Specifically, the paper focuses on the Lifelong Learning Centre provided by the University of Bari (Italy) to migrant people and funded by the European Fund for the Integration of non-EU immigrants (EIF).. The paper analyses assumptions, approach, outputs and outcomes of the CAP centre conceived as a form of career guidance to help immigrants to actively shape their life course.

Gli eventi caratterizzanti la tardomodernità mostrano l'esaurirsi della tensione che aveva animato l'età moderna generando la crisi del progetto societario ponendo l'urgenza di ripensare i fondamenti della vita sociale che costituiscono le parole chiave su cui il volume porta la sua attenzione.

Italian productive development is far to take place as a diffused and concrete practice and this is not only due to the low investments in this direction, but also caused by a cognitive deficit about what is innovation and how has it to be done. Most generally is thought that innovation needs basically financial operativeness, while on the contrary analysis in progress detach for economy the crucial contributions of training. This last, in fact, is the most able to generate relevant changes concerning production and transfer of knowledge and innovation. The present essay investigates the apport of training, in the modality of lifelong learning, and its strength to imply new orientations in productive contexts or changing them on a socio-economic level and on a sphere of structural shapes.