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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.
- Combating ageism through adult education and learningPublication . Fragoso, António; Fonseca, JoséliaThe demographic data and projections show that the world is ageing at a high pace and that this has transversal consequences to society. The available data on ageism show that it constitutes the most prevalent form of discrimination in Europe. Whilst this seems logical because ageism, potentially, affects everybody (unlike sexism or racism), public debates on the phenomenon are rare. The awareness of people of its importance is minimal, the resources and investigation devoted to understanding it are relatively small and the initiatives towards combating ageism are not enough. There is a mismatch between the dimension of the phenomenon and the attention that we have given it. Ageism has various negative consequences for the older adults themselves; for the institutions at large (but especially for the working world institutions) and for countries. In a fast-ageing world that will witness structural changes in age groups, ageism is a complex phenomenon that needs to be counteracted. So far, in Europe, combating ageism through law and public policy seems to have produced poor results. However, the literature shows that adult education and learning can provide very effective means to improve the mutual knowledge between generations, combat myths and prejudice and deconstruct age-based stereotypes.
- Editorial: the changing landscapes of literacy and adult educationPublication . Tett, Lyn; Merrill, Barbara; Almeida, António Fragoso deLiteracy, numeracy and language learning has always had a central place in adult education theory and practice. Over the various historical moments and contexts, its meaning, uses and importance have been changing considerably. It is difficult, therefore, to build a consistent and complete road map to literacy and adult education that takes into account every trend, theoretical approach and practical experience.
- Editorial: reflecting back to the past, present and future: the changing nature of research on access, learning careers and identityPublication . Merrill, Barbara; Galimberti, Andrea; Fragoso, AntónioHistorically it could be argued that issues of access were apparent in the late nineteenth century with the University Extension Movement in the UK and Ireland which offered education to working class men. And later in Scandinavia with the Folk High Schools as well as the work by Rubenson (1979) in the 1970s on recruitment to education. Early research in the 1980s and 1990s in the field of access focused on the process of adults accessing and participating in education and much of the literature centred, and continues to centre, on higher education (Williams, 1997), at that time educators and researchers used the term “second chance” but is rarely used now. This mirrored policy concerns on the need to widen access and participation by policy makers at national and European levels. There was little research on the lived experience of adult learners once they enter the system as the key concern was to get adults to return to learn, largely for economic reasons to enhance the skills of the workforce in a competitive global world. This tension was connected to the rise of the neoliberal paradigm that oriented the uses and meanings of the lifelong learning endeavour in an instrumental and linear direction (Barros, 2012; Milana, 2012). Once adult learners had accessed higher education, for example, it was assumed that they were on an equal footing with younger students, research at this time mainly looked at how adults managed to overcome the barriers both at the beginning and during their learning itinerary (Cross, 1981). Over the years research and literature on adult access broadened in scope and moved beyond access issues as some researchers began to ask the question ‘access to what?’
- Radical popular education todayPublication . Finnegan, Fergal; Fragoso, António; Merrill, BarbaraFreire’s centenary was widely celebrated in 2021 and this led to extensive reflection, debate and discussion within adult education in many countries. This Special Issue on popular education builds on the celebration and discussion of Freire’s work while also extending the debate to focus on radical popular education today. This has provided the opportunity to reflect on the current state and future prospects of radical popular education in relation to theory, praxis and methodology.