How can disadvantaged groups "learn" their way up the socioeconomic ladder, and how can advantaged groups "learn" the value of facilitating that mobility?
I recommend for you reading this paper, it answers your question
Lifelong learning, income inequality and social mobility in Singapore, April 2016. International Journal of Lifelong Education 35(3):1-27
Lifelong learning could help in enhancing skills, enhancing skills to join workforce and get better jobs, prevention of diseases, improving health status of a population, decreasing the burden on government, and improving economy.
Hi! Good and optimistic questions. If we only knew the answers. Lifelong learning opportunities that work are rare, but very valuable for possible upwards mobility on a socioeconomic ladder. It offers some possibility to a new start, to affect ones conditions. I think good examples of people that began to study against their odds of class and social background are very valuable, as well as supportive teachers in primary and upper secondary school.
But, and this is also important - people do choices differently depending on both upbringing and cultural identity. I have studied European education access for Roma people during an EC project. They are often living at a very low socioeconomic level from a conventional perspective. They of course want a good living standard and freedom from discrimination, but family values and traditions can be a lot more important than a higher education exam and a status job in society. The very few Roma persons that go all the way to higher education and climb on the socioeconomic ladder in the societys eyes do not automatically climb on the status ladder of their cultural group - it is sometimes on the contrary, they may thereby depart from the group. There are similar tendencies in other groups , so this is tricky and complex.
A democratic society should offer the same possibilities for all, but it cannot force education on everybody. Although, something is wrong when the university student population does not mirror the population in society.
Dear thinkers,
“We live in a world of radical ignorance, and the marvel is that any kind of truth cuts through the noise,” says Proctor. Even though knowledge is ‘accessible’, it does not mean it is accessed, he warns...the knowledge people have often comes from faith or tradition, or propaganda, more than anywhere else.”
Preprint THE PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN HISTORY INTERPRETATION
Konstantin
Ben : Your question reminds me of an article I read years ago- and perhaps you can locate it---where the question was one of " It is not a culture of poverty but a poverty of culture"- In other words- there is not always a direct teaching of appreciation of art, good music, literature, history, culture- but that this is what is needed- an appreciation of culture- positive culture.
Lifelong learning keep people updated and well prepared for new trends, tech and foster profesional development. When it comes to inequality I think its a challenge and it open opporutunity for people development in terms of skiils and knowhow.
Hi Michael F. Shaughnessy ! You are thinking of Winters book from 1971, info can be found here https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED072168 , which seems to have used the tension between these two inverted expressions ”poverty of culture” and ”culture of poverty” the first time. Then other researchers have cited and discussed this in different contexts, it became a sociological ”debate” ( see Coward, B. E., Feagin, J. R., & Williams Jr, J. A. (1974). The culture of poverty debate: Some additional data. Social Problems, 21(5), 621-634.). An author on this in later times and teacher education is Gloria Ladson-Billings in 2006 (Ladson‐Billings, G. (2006). It's not the culture of poverty, it's the poverty of culture: The problem with teacher education. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 37(2), 104-109.) There is more.
Thank you for informing me ! Gosh- I remembered something from 1971-amazing- but I think the ideas are still relevant, salient and germane to our discussion and I think you for bringing these ideas and references up ! I sincerely appreciate it.
Self-help and focus groups can support this move through interactive discussions, advocacy, and developing sense of collective responsibility and public awareness.
Dear collegues,
I found the case study on Singapore very interesting. I agree with Sammy Azer that Lifelong learning could enhance skills to join workforce. I am now retired, but years ago I was in charge of developing LLL-training courses in the University of Helsinki, and at that time I wrote couple of articles which deal with the issue from institutional point of view. I think the institutions which offer LLL training, or are otherwise attached to LLL- endeavours, needs to be developed. Better-functioning institutions (the advantaged groups as Ben Jurney names them) can help better the unskilled (the disadvantaged groups) to join workforce. You can get the papers from the Academia site - if you are interested (web-address in below).
Mr. Lauri K. Ahonen
https://www.academia.edu/25716016/Roles_of_Intermediary_Organisations_of_Universities_in_the_Emergence_of_Knowledge_Society._Article_by_Lauri_Ahonen_in_University_Meets_Industry._Edited_by_Niko_Thomaschek_and_Edith_Hammer._2012._Münster_Waxmann._pp._21-37
https://www.academia.edu/25716015/VANTAA_CIRCLE_OF_ASSOCIATIONS_AS_A_SOCIAL_INNOVATION_Combating_unemployment_A_Case_Study_on_a_New_Form_of_Collaboration_between_Public_Sector_and_the_Third_Sector_in_the_City_of_Vantaa_Finland
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