International symposium onINTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING: WORKPLACE LEARNING, COMMUNITY LEARNING AND LEARNING WITHIN THE FAMILY
Ann-Kristin Boström Jönköping University
Lifelong learning and intergenerational learning in different cultures and contexts
Intergenerational learning
Definition UNESCO 2000:
”Intergenerational programmes are vehicles for the purposeful and ongoing exchange of recources and learning among older and
younger generations”
China, Cuba, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Palestine, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States
Intergenerational relationships
• US in 1970-s: relationships outside the family
• 1990:s relationships between generations
• 2000- relationships within the family, between generations in the workplace and the community
Fukyama
• Fukyama (2000) discussed values and trust and he described both formal values and informal values.
• Formal values are the values that are decided by law and regulations in a society.
• Informal values are the values that you find in every society as the attitudes, codes and acceptance of how people should behave towards each other. In the next figure the continuum of values are included in the model of lifelong learning
Lifelong learning
Lifewide learning
formal informalnon formal
values values
Lifelong learning
Lifewide learning
formal informalnon formal
values values
Social capital
Coleman 1988:98) it is not a single concept,rather the concept of social capital is a compilation of various components. These have the following in common:They consist of some form of social structureThey facilitate certain aspects of social structuresThey facilitate certain responses on the part of various actors within the structure
Forms of social capital
The level of confidence and trust which is found in the actual social environment
Those information channels which are found there and how information is passed between the actors.
Shared norms and structures that are found when people are working towards the same goal, when they are doing this on the basis of common unselfish interests.
Lifelong learning
Lifewide learning
formal informal
Intergenerational learning and social capital
values values
Relat
ions
hips
lear
ning
trustc
ommunication
nonformal
Old person
Young person
Need for social connection
Matthew D. Lieberman (2013)
Mindreading
• We receive social rewards when others let us know they like, respect, or care for us and we get social rewards when we care for others well.
• Even though social and nonsocial thinking are structurally and experimentally similar, the brain handles these two kinds of thinking using very different neural systems.
Lieberman, M.,D. (2013). Social: Why our brains are wired to connect. New York: Broadway Books.
Indicators for Social Capital
Trust/security
Normes and structure
Communication
Social capital
Co-operation
Eudaimonic
wellbeing
External
conditions
Social
relations
Personal
recources
Hedonic
wellbeing
Evaluative
wellbeing
Adapted from Thomson and Marks 2008
Eudaimonic
wellbeing
External
conditions
Social
relations
Personal
recources
Hedonic
wellbeing
Evaluative
wellbeing
Adapted from Thomson and Marks 2008
How satisfied people are with their lives as a
whole nowadays
Eudaimonic
wellbeing
External
conditions
Social
relations
Personal
recources
Hedonic
wellbeing
Evaluative
wellbeing
Wellbeing
Adapted from Thomson and Marks 2008
People’s day –to-day feelingsand mood
Eudaimonic
wellbeing
External
conditions
Social
relations
Personal
recources
Hedonic
wellbeing
Evaluative
wellbeing
Wellbeing
Adapted from Thomson and Marks 2008
Concepts that are believed to be important for
well-being
Values
Eudaimonic
wellbeing
External
conditions
Social
relations
Personal
recources
Hedonic
wellbeing
Evaluative
wellbeing
Trust
Wellbeing and social capital
Values
Eudaimonic
wellbeing
External
conditions
Social
relations
Personal
recources
Hedonic
wellbeing
Evaluative
wellbeing
Trust
Wellbeing and social capital
Learning outcomes: transfer of innovation
•Evaluation concepts
• To what extent is an intervention relevant to needs problems and the identified target group?
• To what extent do the effects induced by an intervention correspond with its objectives?
• To what extent can any positive changes be expected to last ?
Outcomes• Be clear about what
intergenerational practice is• How it can be defined through
policy, strategy, projectwork and activities
• Understand how to meet challenges and overcome barriers
• Have experiences of approaches
• Approaches to meet stereotypes
UK
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Spain
Slovenia
Intergenerational learning in Sweden
• The Swedish welfare model
• Well-being is highest in the Nordic countries in Europe
• A change has taken place in Sweden from 2007 to 2011
Sports
organisa
tions
Organisa
tions with
a so
cial fo
cus
Organisa
tions for c
ondominiums
Organisa
tions for le
isure
Organisa
tions for s
pecial
interest
s and unions
Religio
us orga
nisations
Outside t
he civi
l socie
ty
Culture
organisa
tions
Socia
l move
ments
and politi
cal orga
nisations
Cooperative
s
Other orga
nisations
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
19921998200520092014
1994 1998 2005 2009 20140
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Volontary work helps people to have an active role in societyVolontary people give something else than a pro-fesional recieving a salaryEvereyone has a moral re-sponsibility to work volon-tarilyIf the government took full responsibility there would be no need for volontary workVolontary work is a threat against professional work with a salary and is used to decrease the welfare system
Intergenerational learning in Sweden
• The Nordic model contains a strong participation in associations of different kinds.
• There are more than 200 000 associations in Sweden with a population of 9,5 million people.
• 86% of all people in the age between 16-84 are members of an association, 25% are involved in more than two associations
Summing up
• As human beings we need human relationships• This gives us positiv feelings – well being• Intergenerational learning is part of lifelong
learning and as such increases social capital• How this will develope in practice is dependant
on the culture and the history of each specific country – for the family in the workplace and in the community.
• Intergenerational learning can be seen as part of lifelong learning. This was first mostly connected to human capital but has in recent times been more connected to social capital as the importance of learning for the wellbeing of individuals has been acknowledged. The learning can take place in formal settings, in the workplace or in the informal settings as for example in the family and the community where it is important to consider that the interpretation of lifelong learning and intergenerational learning differ in different cultures and contexts.
Thank you!