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!