Is there a need for a fourth statement? An examination of the critical and humanist statements of educational gerontology principles

Abstract

The guiding principles of the education of older adults have been stated in three landmark publications. In their statements of principles, the authors of those publications affiliated themselves with one of two older-adult learning philosophies: a humanist or a critical one. Thirty years since the first statement, the field of educational gerontology is now weighted with theoretical ambiguities that are sustained by the polarised learning philosophies that govern the three statements of principles. In this paper, by adopting a middle-ground approach, I analyse these statements in order to answer three questions: (1) What do the three statements of educational gerontology principles have in common? (2) How do they conflict? (3) What tensions exist within and across the three statements? I conclude that the current dominant learning philosophies are sometimes hegemonic, exclusive and reductive. I suggest a fourth restatement that matches the contemporary advances in the field of educational gerontology.

Zooming in on Life Politics: Identity and Reflexivity in a University for the Third Age

“…This conceptualization of life politics merges self-actualization and empowerment/emancipation and could solve long-standing learning goal-related dichotomies found within previous rationales for the education of older adults (see Hachem, 2020). Life politics offers two important insights.…”

“…Life politics concerns political issues which flow from processes of selfactualisation in post-traditional contexts, where globalising influences intrude deeply into the reflexive project of the self, and conversely where processes of self-realisation [or self-actualization] influence global strategies. (p. 214) This conceptualization of life politics merges selfactualization and empowerment/emancipation and could solve long-standing learning goal-related dichotomies found within previous rationales for the education of older adults (see Hachem, 2020). Life politics offers two important insights.…”

“…I appeal to scholars and adult educators to further examine and replicate life-politics-inspired educational activities. Through this study, I partake in the debate on the rationales for learning in older age (Formosa, 2011; Hachem, 2020) and I invigorate it with a late modern rationale.…”

“…In addition, the humanist rationale assigns self-actualization or personal growth as a goal to learning, whereas empowerment and emancipation are the goals of Freirean older adult " Upon retirement, older adults face new questions and identity-defining choices concerning roles within society and family, learning in later life, working beyond retirement, health, and lifestyle." education, signaling a goal dichotomy (Hachem, 2020). One way to address this dichotomy is through a late modern rationale for the education of older people that can embrace concurrently personal growth and selfand social questioning.…”

“…In addition, the humanist rationale assigns self-actualization or personal growth as a goal to learning, whereas empowerment and emancipation are the goals of Freirean older adult education, signaling a goal dichotomy (Hachem, 2020). One way to address this dichotomy is through a late modern rationale for the education of older people that can embrace concurrently personal growth and self- and social questioning.…”