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- Social disadvantages and intergenerational solidarity views from older adults: a qualitative studyPublication . Fragoso, António; Valadas, Sandra T.; Paulos, LilianaIn this article we aim at understanding the influence of social disadvantages on intergenerational solidarity. For this study, we have considered biographical research through narratives. These narratives help explain and reflect on the beliefs of the participants, implicit theories, and their life experiences. A snowball sampling technique was considered, and the data were collected by means of 58 narrative interviews with men aged between 60 and 93 years of age, living in urban and rural areas of southern Portugal. The interviews were conducted face-to-face in the participants' houses or community centers. Content analysis was performed and our results indicated that a low educational background was determinant in the trajectories of these men. Unqualified or low qualified occupations and, in consequence, low financial capital, had both a direct and indirect effect on various domains of life. As a result, a significant part of the men live in poverty, and many others experience a very difficult situation. The results also revealed that social disadvantages had an impact on structural, functional, and associational solidarities. The levels of intergenerational exchanges are reduced and unsatisfying. Our study suggests that social class is a key factor in explaining the inequalities of older adults and also influences intergenerational solidarity at a family level.
- Education matters: cumulative advantages and disadvantages amongst Portuguese older menPublication . Vilhena, Carla; Valadas, Sandra T.; Almeida, António Fragoso deOur paper sought to analyse the influence of the educational background over various dimensions of the lives of Portuguese older men (age 60+) across the life course. Drawing on the theory of cumulative advantages and disadvantages we used biographical research, namely narrative interviews with men from different educational background: men with a very low educational background and men with a medium/high educational background. Our results show the influence of educational background in the life course, and how it can contribute to accumulation of advantages/disadvantages that explain their biographies and the very different situations in which they live today.
- Transições do ensino superior para o mercado de trabalho: perspetivas teóricas.Publication . Valadas, Sandra T.; Almeida, António Fragoso de; Paulos, Liliana; Almeida, Leandro da Silva; Almeida, Leandro S.O conceito de transição está muito ligado com o risco. A incerteza característica dos nossos dias, muito sensível no mundo do trabalho, tem vindo a transformar a transição num processo cada vez mais complexo e dilatado no tempo (Alves & Korhonen, 2016; Vieira & Marques, 2014). Consequentemente, a sua compreensão exige uma abordagem sistémica e dinâmica, por forma a entender claramente a natureza mutável das transições e os fatores que determinam esse processo. A literatura na área demonstra que a transição parece, de facto, ser um período crucial e muito significativo na vida dos indivíduos, que se caracteriza por um nível elevado de incerteza, com consequências a nível individual e societal (Jappinen & Maunonen-Eskelinen, 2012). Nesta lógica, iremos debruçar-nos sobre o que nos diz a literatura mais recente sobre este assunto, com especial destaque para o papel das IES e sua relação com o mercado de trabalho. Exploramos também a natureza multivariável da transição do ES para o mundo do trabalho, recorrendo à diversidade de abordagens no estudo deste fenómeno. Porque o conceito de empregabilidade também nos parece central nesta reflexão, faremos um breve enquadramento histórico relativamente aos seus fundamentos e refletiremos sobre a ênfase crescente nas competências transversais.
- Empregabilidade e transição para o mercado de trabalho: perspetivas de estudantes/diplomados não-tradicionais do Ensino SuperiorPublication . Paulos, Liliana; Valadas, Sandra T.; Almeida, António Fragoso deConsiderando os desafios que os estudantes não-tradicionais enfrentam, quer na participação no Ensino Superior, quer na sua transição para o mercado de trabalho, foi nossa intenção compreender a) Qual a perspetiva dos estudantes sobre as competências/capacidades que os tornam empregáveis? e b) Quais os desafios que enfrentam na transição para o mercado de trabalho? Nesta lógica, foram realizadas 21 entrevistas biográficas a estudantes/diplomados não-tradicionais que frequentavam o último ano da licenciatura, mestrado ou mestrado integrado. As dimensões analisadas remetem para as questões de género, idade e experiência, e contexto socioeconómico. Os resultados sugerem uma internalização dos discursos sobre empregabilidade, entendida pelos participantes como uma responsabilidade individual para obter/manter um emprego. Os participantes referem alguma discriminação no que se refere à idade e ao género: diplomados maduros parecem ter mais dificuldades em mudar de carreira profissional e são considerados menos flexíveis e disponíveis para o trabalho, quando comparados com um diplomado jovem; o facto de ser mulher pode condicionar a empregabilidade devido à maternidade. Por último, os entrevistados mencionam alguns condicionantes em termos de emprego devido à crise económica: no setor público, existem limitações na política de contratação e poucas perspetivas de progressão de carreira; no setor privado, assistimos a pouca oferta de trabalhos qualificados, sobretudo na região do Algarve; no terceiro setor, parecem ser escassas as condições para contratar diplomados com salários justos e adequados.
- The search for security in precarious times: non-traditional graduates perspectives on higher education and employmentPublication . Finnegan, Fergal; Valadas, Sandra T.; O Neill, Jerry; Almeida, António Fragoso de; Paulos, LilianaThis article explores non-traditional student and graduate views of the university in Ireland and Portugal as it relates to their expectations of, and experiences in, the labour market. The research is based on in-depth biographical interviews with 61 non-traditional students and graduates conducted longitudinally (85 interviews in total). The article contextualises the research in relation to the expansion of higher education internationally as well as national and EU policies aimed at supporting a ‘knowledge-based economy’. It offers an overview of the meaning of precarity. It then outlines key empirical findings from the research related to student expectations of their degree and their postgraduation experience in the labour market. In particular, it explores the phenomenon of precarity amongst graduates how this is experienced and handled in various ways. Using a critical and egalitarian lens the overall aim of the research is to widen the focus of widening participation debates and explore how educational and institutional initiatives impact, or not, on wider social and employment inequalities.
- Education matters: cumulative advantages and disadvantages amongst Portuguese older menPublication . Vilhena, Carla; Valadas, Sandra T.; Almeida, António Fragoso deOur paper sought to analyse the influence of the educational background over various dimensions of the lives of Portuguese older men (age 60+) across the life course. Drawing on the theory of cumulative advantages and disadvantages we used biographical research, namely narrative interviews with men from different educational background: men with a very low educational background and men with a medium/high educational background. Our results show the influence of educational background in the life course, and how it can contribute to accumulation of advantages/disadvantages that explain their biographies and the very different situations in which they live today.
- The rise and fall of adult community education in PortugalPublication . Almeida, António Fragoso de; Valadas, Sandra T.In this article, we intend to reflect on community education in Portugal. We analyse the background of the emergence of community education in the aftermath of the revolution of 1974, examine the main reasons that contributed to its dissemination, and identify its characteristics. We present a case study that illustrates both the rise and the fall of community education. The original investigation was a multiple case study. To gather information, we used non-structured interviews, informal conversations, observation, and document analysis. To continue the original investigation, we used biographical research, which allowed us to obtain more data on some of the key individuals and, at the same time, to improve our knowledge of the communities. Our results show that the period between 1985 and 2005 (roughly) constituted a very important period for community education. National phenomena, European funding programmes, and a notion of adult education that was very close to popular education aided civil society organisations to work with communities with interesting results in terms of social change. After 2005, changes in European social policy, neoliberalism affecting the power of civil society, and a new version of adult education (influenced by lifelong learning) partially caused the fall of community education.
- Transitions to retirement: perceptions of Portuguese older menPublication . Valadas, Sandra T.; Vilhena, Carla; Almeida, António Fragoso deIn this paper we present results based on the project Old Guys Say Yes to Community. We interviewed 90 men in southern Portugal between 60 and 93 years of age. Our main aim was to understand how older men experienced their transitions from work to retirement. We clarify the concept of transition and the models that explain transitions in the life course perspective. There are a number of factors to consider during the processes of retirement. Also, not much is known about the role of education and learning during the transition process. We try to contribute to the field, reflecting on the learning processes that result from this transition. Our findings show that work is one of the most crucial dimensions to consider in transitions to retirement (despite the fact that we identify many others). But education and learning do have an immense impact on the lives of older adults, either negative or positive.
- Ensino superior e empregabilidade: percepções de estudantes e graduados, empregadores e acadêmicosPublication . Almeida, António Fragoso de; Valadas, Sandra T.; Paulos, LilianaNeste artigo pretendemos refletir criticamente sobre os significados da empregabilidade e o papel que o ensino superior (ES) poderá ter na sua promoção. Analisamos dados de um projeto europeu considerando as perceções de estudantes e graduados, empregadores e acadêmicos. Os resultados mostram que estudantes, graduados e empregadores internalizaram uma visão dominante de empregabilidade (contrariamente aos acadêmicos) que implica considerar o ES como responsável pela empregabilidade. Indicam, também, que para os acadêmicos é crucial a ideia de que as instituições de ES não devem estar ao serviço do mercado de trabalho, mas sim das sociedades. Os grupos inquiridos estão de acordo em que apoiar os estudantes na transição para o emprego é um objetivo instrumental importante