Generational inequalities and inter- generational dynamics of lifelong learning John Field University of Stirling 2012 LLAKES conference Lifelong learning, crisis and social change

Active aging – a reality check NALS 2010Change since 2005 in size of gap with cohort 50 – 59: gap up 4% 60 – 69: gap up 4% 70 +:gap up 2%

Active aging – a reality check NALS 2010Change since 2005 in size of gap with cohort 50 – 59: gap up 7% 60 – 69: gap up 15% 70 +:gap up 13%

Researching transitions School-to-work (“The transition”) Life stage theories Life course theories OECD ‘alternance’ Undifferentiated ‘third age’

Researching transitions Focus on ‘front end’ Linear Unidirectional Fixed Uniform

Researching transitions Risk, reflexivity and liquid modernity Destandardisation/restandardisation Liminality Resisting stereotyping and stigmatisation Class, gender, ability and region

Generations Popular discourse Family location Cohort group

Educational generations A generation consists of a group of people born during the same time period and who are united by similar life experiences and a temporarily coherent cultural background. People belonging to the same generation have the same location in the historical dimension of the social process. Antikainen at al 1996

Older adults’ life stories: before 1945 Spatial anchoring (often destroyed) Metaphor for ‘community’? Gendered domains Discipline and control Cultural distance ‘Common sense’ / ‘airy-fairy stuff’ Contrasts with younger generations

Older adults’ life stories: Spatial anchoring (usually) present Discipline and control ‘The lucky generation’ Contested gender roles Continuing school friendship networks Awareness of HE expansion Contrasts with parents’ generation

Conclusions Largely consistent with Finnish studies Meanings of community Broad generational orientations towards school and learning Older adults vary by generation Relations between (family) generation and (cohort) generation Implications for learning in later life Analyses based on cohort data vs panel data

Conclusions Inter-generational transmission has been widely discussed at family but not cohort level Definitional problems are enormous (porous boundaries) Generation is only one aspect of older adults’ experiences Some aspects of ageing are common to all generations Class, gender and ethnicity also affect members of a generation Exiting the labour market remains the main determinant of participation