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This thesis develops a new, mid-range theory of the recognition of prior learning (RPL) with non-traditional learners. It incorporates a practice framework accompanied by good practice principles, to support the implementation of socially just RPL. Formal skills recognition processes, such as RPL, have been used as tools for enhancing social inclusion and social justice within educational institutions across the world. RPL seeks to affirm and accredit skills and knowledges that have evolved from diverse, informal learning experiences and cultural locations and is thought by some to be ‘a powerful tool for bringing people into the learning system’ (Hargreaves 2006, 2). However, in Australia and elsewhere, RPL is largely accessed by those who are already familiar with systems and discourses of formal learning. This excludes the very people who could most benefit from RPL and misses an opportunity to integrate alternative knowledges into professional education curricula. This qualitative, empirical study, explores non-traditional learners’ experiences of RPL for the formal award of Community Services qualifications within the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector. Data are gathered at three points during the RPL process through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with nine RPL candidates, their workplace supervisors and the assessors. A total of 22 participants provide data via 54 individual interviews and one assessor focus group. Data analysis was undertaken using constructivist grounded theory methods revealing three key aspects of RPL that operate as ‘vectors’ to guide and stabilise the RPL experience for individual candidates. A strong ‘meta’ theme emerges, indicating ontological purposes of RPL and intersubjective qualities and effects of the assessment. Philosophical and political theories of Recognition (Honneth 1995, Oliver 2001) are used to demonstrate how RPL is an interpersonal exchange that engages bo

The ethics debate in the literature on involuntary treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) is underpinned by biomedical ethics approaches. Biomedical ethics assigns expert status to professionals to objectively balance ethical principles in patients’ best interests. The debate is centred on the issue of how to respect the autonomy of patients with AN who refuse treatment whilst protecting them from harm. However, in practice, decision making about the ethics of involuntary treatment for AN occurs in a multidisciplinary context. Thus, it is surprising that there are no non-biomedical contributions to the debate. The aim of this research is to address this limitation by making a social work contribution.Social work ethics is compatible with biomedical ethics. However, social work ethics emphasises professional responsibility for promoting client empowerment, participation, and self-determination. Yet, similarly to biomedical ethics principles, social work values are presented as one-dimensional and objective. This obscures the complexity of conceptualising and applying professional values in practice (with persons with AN who refuse treatment). Further, this bypasses the issue that the interpretation of professional values and principles occurs in the context of team dynamics where particular discourses of ‘professionalism’ and ‘good practice’ operate. These discourses affirm particular knowledge and values.Taking a social work approach, it is imperative to reveal the moral dimension of practice and how professional discourses and practice can be disempowering for patients. In order to make this social work contribution to the debate a postmodern ethics approach has been applied. This approach promotes professional moral responsibility for (the hegemony of) professional knowledge. Consistent with this approach, an ethnographic study in the involuntary treatment environment was also conducted. This involved observation of eating disorders team meetings, in-depth interviewi