Heather Lynch | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

This is the first research-based book-length English language study of intergenerational learning. Here the authors define intergenerational learning broadly, as the migration of knowledge and skills between different generations across the life course. This is an important topic for education researchers, who are increasingly recognising the vital role played by family and other social connections in determining attainment. Intergenerational learning has also risen high on the policy agenda, as governments and institutions try to improve education outcomes against a background of budget reductions. There is also a wider media and public interest in how the life styles and values of different generations are seemingly leading to a general process of ‘dumbing down’. This will be the first major study to explore these issues in a thorough and scholarly manner. The volume is based in part on an in depth study of the learning biographies of some thirty adults, conducted as part of the ESRC funded project Learning Lives, supplemented by a strong overview of existing research and an informed perspective on the wider context of intergenerational learning. While the primary research is based in the UK, the authors are involved in a number of transnational networks on igenerations and learning, and are well-placed to engage with key international debates.