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European countries, North America and Japan are strongly affected by demographic change and ageing populations. In these countries a discourse emerged about using the potentials of older people and the role of lifelong learning in this process. This text focuses on international results of further educational participation of older people and outlines concepts of learning in later life in Germany.
Die Frage nach der Lernfähigkeit und der Lernmotivation Älterer hat eine lange Geschichte. Trotz vieler gegenteiliger Belege hielt sich bis in die zweite Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts die Annahme, dass die Lernfähigkeit kontinuierlich, biologisch bedingt, abnimmt. In den 1980ern Jahren kam es zu einem Perspektivenwechsel. Schon damals zeichnete ich ein demographischer Wandel ab. Alter - bisher vor allem ein medizinisches Thema - wurde nun auch sozialwissenschaftlich und pädagogisch diskutiert. In…
Older people often lack the competences for the handling of digital media. This is problematic in a society which is more and more based on digital exchanges. Courses of continuing digital education for older people prove to be successful when they are embedded into their living environments. In this article, the author presents several of these educational formats.
Voluntary engagement is firmly integrated in the structures of our society. To be able to foster it, one has to understand who is engaged and why. Drawing on data of PIAAC and CiLL surveys, the authors show that age is not a relevant factor in why someone is engaged. Rather, education is a key factor in taking up volunteering activities. This, it is shown, is also true for non-formal activities of adult education.
Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Lebenslangen Lernen zeigen, dass die Weiterbildungsbeteiligung im höheren Alter nachlässt. Damit geraten Anspruch und Wirklichkeit einer „Bildung für Ältere“ in Widerspruch. Einerseits ist Bildung für die Selbstverwirklichung des Individuums, aber auch für die Wissensproduktion in Organisationen und letztlich für die Bewältigung des demografischen Wandels bedeutsam. Andererseits aber beteiligen sich nur wenige ältere Menschen an Weiterbildung. Wie ein Ausweg…
The author presents findings of the project »S-Mobil 100«, which is aimed at supporting the mobility of senior citizens with new technologies. In addition, it outlines the learning process of the elderly in handling new technologies.
Biographical Orientations for Older People in Adult Education In times of demographic changes and an increasing flexibility of biographies, adult education is in need of adjusting its repertoire. General and highly standardized programmes alone do no longer fit the heterogeneity of its target groups. The article is based on two empirical studies – one focuses on individual management of work path, the other shows the importance of structuring time and activities to elder people. With these, …
With increasing age, xenophobic and pejorative attitudes of people with a migration background and other cultures grow. Both adult education in older age and social work are hence faced with new challenges. On the basis of a statistic inventory on hostility of elderly people, different forms and specifications and also dimensions of discrimination are systematized by means of theory constructions. Enabling to focus on social community approaches, e.g. the concept of Habitus, as suggested by Bou…
