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‘Nothing to lose and everything to gain’: Neighbourhood Houses and later life learners

journal contribution
posted on 2018-01-01, 00:00 authored by Trace OllisTrace Ollis, Cheryl RyanCheryl Ryan, Karen StarrKaren Starr, Ursula Harrison
This paper 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 leaners (referred to in this paper 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 and informal learning experiences for adults returning to study. The research uses 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 argue Neighbourhood Houses provide education experiences for later life learners that contribute to social inclusion, building community and decreasing social isolation.

History

Journal

Studies in the education of adults

Volume

50

Issue

1

Pagination

19 - 38

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Location

Abingdon, Eng.

ISSN

0266-0830

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2018, Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group