1. Life Transitions and the role of formal study Anne Jamieson Birkbeck, University of London

2. Focus: Transitions and formal study What is a transition? ‘Changed relationships, routines, assumptions and roles’ triggered by Life events (or non-events). Life events: benchmarks or milestones in the life course Transitions are processes as well as outcomes; can entail social as well as psychological processes; variable time frame; and not always linear

3. Transitions and learning Transitions entail learning. Edwards et al: ‘Disruptions to routines of life… all present tensions within the taken-for-granted worlds that are likely to engender reflexive self-and social questioning and, potentially, change’

4. Formal study and transitions Study as trigger for transition Study as part of or outcome of transition

5. Interwoven processes Transition study transition

6. Example: Woman who was divorced soon after completing study It's possible to study hard, support yourself and parent your children all at once - but it's certainly not easy! I suspect many relationships have suffered under the strain - but then again, correlation isn't causality - and I wonder how many people embark on a course of further education because they are in a state of change and looking for some further self- development

7. Study focus Both motivation to study and outcomes of study This presentation: Focus on role of transitions in motivation to study

8. The adult years study Extra-Mural students, Birkbeck Background, motivation and outcomes of study Baseline survey in 2000 (765 responses) Follow-up survey in 2006 (195 responses) Interviews with sample in 2000-01

9. Reasons for study Diversity of aims: Employment Further study Personal development Intellectual stimulation Subject knowledge

10. Triggers Trigger% mention Family encouragement17 Friends16 Retirement of self/partner14 Less child care demand 8 Job loss 7 Moving home 5

11. Other triggers Wanting career change Divorce Bereavement Onset of illness/disability Life review

12. Caveat: Transitions, triggers and motivation Reported ‘triggers’ are not always transitions Decisions to study can have transition related ‘triggers’ without being reported as such

13. Examples of life events as triggers to study Retirement Redundancy Bereavement Family breakdown Mental breakdown

14. Framework for understanding how individuals cope with life events (The four ‘S’s) Situation Self Support Strategy

15. Strategies 1.Environment (situation) focused: a) modifying or b) escaping from the situation 2.Person (self) focused: a) developing additional coping strategies or personal resilience or b) altering the way the situation is perceived and assessed (e.g. cognitive restructuring in order to challenge unrealistic expectations)

16. Example1: Situation focused Retired person: Creation of new routines and structure (replacing work) [without my studying] ‘I would drink more coffee and read more newspapers..I am disorganised, I am untidy, I always had an awful fear of slipping into a kind of lethargy or sloth..’

17. Example 2: Situation focused Retired social worker embarking on counselling course: Creation of new work challenges (re-creating work based life) ‘I did not see myself as retiring. I see myself as going on to a new venture’

18. Example 3: Situation focused Widow who had moved to a new neighbourhood: Creation of new social network to replace the one she had lost. Joining class in local institute to meet: ‘People of your own kind..I speak to all and sundry…I had to find a new social life’

19. Example 4: Person focused Bereavement: Building up resilience and coping ability. On becoming widowed: ‘The last thing I wanted was to meet another widow..I wanted to open my horizons to something else and forget it…that was my way of coping…’

20. Example 5: Person focused Redundancy: Losing a challenging job, becoming unemployed and taking up a menial job, studying meant: ‘The opportunity to keep one’s self-respect in adversity’

21. Example 6: Person focused Retirement and loss of family and home. ‘I was in the gutter’ Studying: ‘keeps you from brooding..instead I take the book and study. When I am alone I feel this is my opportunity. Now I don’t get despondent about this..this is a chance to catch up with my studies’

22. Example 7: Person focused Major trauma – receiving treatment for suicidal depression and poor physical health: ‘I was in a very weak state mentally and physically and I had to look around and fasten on something, to initially sort myself out, and it happened to be the literature, and..for the first 18 months I sat with a tear in my eye..’

23. ‘Being beyond living, everything had gone..going to the course took great courage..it is one of the best things I ever did…It was helpful because I was going to a group and there was no pressure there, and the things I was asked to do, say read a passage for the following week was something that I could do…. …they don’t know at this little course..that it saved me’

24. Study as coping strategy: who, when and how? The other 3 ‘S’s: Situation Self Support

25. Situation Planned/sudden/unexpected Timing, duration Control Concurrent stress

26. Example1: Planned transition Retired person: Creation of new routines and structure (replacing work) [without my studying] ‘I would drink more coffee and read more newspapers..I am disorganised, I am untidy, I always had an awful fear of slipping into a kind of lethargy or sloth..’

27. Example 6: Concurrent stress Retirement, followed by divorce, loss of family and home. ‘I was in the gutter’

28. Self Socio-economic aspects: Life course stage; class, gender, ethnicity Psychological resources: personality, values and commitments

29. Life history/class Major trauma – receiving treatment for suicidal depression and poor physical health: ‘I was in a very weak state mentally and physically and I had to look around and fasten on something, to initially sort myself out..’ Previous occupation: Teacher

30. Personality The widow: ‘The last thing I wanted was to meet another widow..I wanted to open my horizons to something else and forget it…that was my way of coping…’not interested in navel gazing, maybe because I am a practical person’

31. Other examples The extrovert (?) ‘socialiser’: joining to ‘meet people’ – to create new networks The introvert (?)’loner’: studying keeps me from brooding when I am alone..

32. Support Aspects of social support: material; emotional; information; networking Importance of social support in coping with life events, particularly health problems, is well documented

33. Examples- emotional support ‘Being beyond living, everything had gone..going to the course took great courage..it is one of the best things I ever did…It was helpful because I was going to a group and there was no pressure there, and the things I was asked to do, say read a passage for the following week was something that I could do…. …they don’t know at this little course..that it saved me’

34. Conclusions Generalisability issues: Limitations of quantitative survey data: say nothing about processes and meanings Qualitative life history material: evidence difficult to present ‘en masse’ - themes; examples; typologies

35. Conclusions – cont. Formal study can play a powerful role in individuals’ attempts to cope with life events Perhaps most powerful for those most familiar with formal study But socalled ‘leisure learning’ can be a lifeline.