Volume 48 of the International Yearbook of Adult Education is dedicated to sociological diagnoses of the present and contemporary society - such as the Externalization Society, the Sociology of de-networking and Surveillance Capitalism - and examines their implications for adult education. Such diagnoses shape the political discourse and often give rise to new demands on education and training. The volume picks up on these dynamics and highlights the role that adult education can play in social upheavals. In doing so, the volume argues for critical examination of diagnoses of the present and contemporary times in order to avoid hastily deriving measures.