Social Institutions as Sites of Learning for Older Adults

Abstract

This article addresses the issue of the extent of learning older adults (aged 55 and older) undertake in nonformal and informal contexts. In particular, this article focuses on three social institutions in which learning occurs: the family, the church, and the workplace. These are sites not often perceived as learning environments. The central argument is that agency-structured educational activity for older adults is a minor element of their learning, given that they prefer to manage learning for themselves. Even so, the availability of nonformal and informal learning opportunities is still heavily influenced by political economy factors, with gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity the most prominent. It is a leap of faith to assert that less formal learning opportunities and outcomes for seniors are evenly distributed across the older adult population. Despite their informal character, people's choices of learning events are greater for those who have already benefited from earlier educational success.