ERIC Number: EJ1199720
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0266-0830
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
'Nothing to Lose and Everything to Gain': Neighbourhood Houses and Later Life Learners
Ollis, Tracey; Ryan, Cheryl; Starr, Karen; Harrison, Ursula
Studies in the Education of Adults, v50 n1 p19-38 2018
This article focusses on later life learning in Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria, Australia, amidst a backdrop of neoliberal education policies impacting on Adult Community Education (ACE) in Australia. This empirical research was conducted in the state of Victoria and charts the learning of older learners (referred to in this article as later life learners), who have come to the houses for a variety of reasons, but primarily to learn new knowledge, to socialise and stay active in later life. Founded in the 1960s and 1970s, Neighbourhood Houses have provided both formal, informal and incidental learning experiences for adults returning to study. The research uses a case study methodology to explore the learning experiences of later life learners returning to study. It outlines the benefits to participants in terms of their health and well-being, knowledge and skill development through formal, informal and incidental learning in the houses. We apply the lens of Bourdieu to present the distinctive practices within Neighbourhood Houses that create a habitus conducive to adult and lifelong learning. We argued that Neighbourhood Houses provide educational experiences for later life learners that contribute to social inclusion, building community and decreasing social isolation.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Adult Learning, Adult Education, Informal Education, Incidental Learning, Lifelong Learning, Community Education, Community Centers, Learning Experience, Inclusion, Social Isolation, Well Being, Self Concept, Employment Potential, Cultural Capital, Adult Development, Student Centered Learning, Older Adults
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A