The aim of this paper is to discuss the theoretical and philosophical fundament of Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger’s theory of ’situated learning’. In Denmark, the theory has been categorized under as different paradigms as a theory of learning as ‘apprenticeship’ and as ‘social constructionism’. This may seem as a theoretical discussion without any implications for an actual practice. But, as it will be argued in the paper, the perception of the theory has fundamental consequences for how it is considered to contribute to the understanding of learning and to analyses of learning in an actual context. The paper can, thus, be considered as not only a contribution to a narrow discussion of ‘situated learning’, but also to the wider discussion of how to conceptualize ‘learning’ as such. In addition, the paper discusses some of the analytical perspectives, which are at stake in some of the other papers in this anthology. While Klaus Nielsen uses Lave & Wenger’s theory for his analysis, Ane Qvortrup and Tina Bering Keiding analyze its impact (p. XX & XX in this volume). And while Helle Plauborg uses Karen Barads approach for her analyses, Steen Bech analyses the theory of Vygotsky, which is also mentioned in this paper.