How can lifelong learning contribute to poverty reduction ?

1. How can lifelong learning contribute to poverty reduction? Dr. Jittie Brandsma Brandsma Training & Learning Research, the Netherlands

2. Structure of the presentation • Definitions of poverty • Concepts related to poverty • Dominant perspective on combating poverty • Functions of lifelong learning and its potential contribution to poverty reduction • Social and identity capital and lifelong learning • Contribution of lifelong learning to poverty reduction (from the perspective of social, identity and human capital

3. Definitions of poverty • Multi-dimensional/multi-faceted concept • Encompassing: economic, social, cultural, and political elements • Both a ‘relative’ and an ‘absolute’ concept • Can be chronic as well as temporary • Affecting not only the standard of living, but also other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights

4. Poverty contributes negatively to: • Life chances • Educational achievement • Gainful employment • Health • Housing • Social cohesion/integration

5. Poverty and related concepts • Inequality: lack of equal access to economic, socio-cultural, educational and political resources, structures and decision making processes • Social exclusion: the deprivation of aspects of full social participation in different fields • Vulnerability: extent to which people/groups are apt to fall into poverty due to unexpected ‘shocks’ or risks (e.g.: disabled/long-term and chronic sick; single parents; minority (ethnic) groups), elderly people; illegal immigrants and refugees)

6. Dominant perspective on combating poverty • Lack of employment or low-paid employment as main causes of poverty • Gaining employment perceived as an effective strategy for moving out of poverty • Enabling people to gain and sustain employment as the key element of anti-poverty policies

7. Limitations of the ‘employment’ strategy • Poverty is not a one-issue problem, but related to various different ‘problems’ that tend to reinforce each other • Poverty often directly related to low educational achievement leaving open only low-paid employment, which does not provide many opportunities to escape poverty

8. Different functions of lifelong learning • ‘employability’ (economic, labour participation) • Active citizenship (democracy, societal participation) • Personal development • Social integration/cohesion

9. Potential contribution of lifelong learning to poverty reduction • Acquisition of skills and qualifications designed to help gain and sustain employment (‘single issue approach’) • Learning as a supportive mechanism for the development of social capital and ‘identity capital’

10. The ‘learning’ pyramid

11. Social capital and ‘identity capital’ • Social capital is networks together with shared norms, values and understanding that facilitate cooperation within or among groups (reciprocity, trust, experience of communality and cooperation, participation) • ‘Identity capital’: self-assurance, self-consciousness, self-efficacy

12. Social capital: different forms • Bonding: strengthening of ties and solidarity within a (social) homogeneous group • Bridging: strengthening of ties and relations between different more heterogeneous groups and networks • Linking: links spanning different social strata and the capacity of mobilising resources outside the own community

13. Lifelong learning, social capital and ‘identity capital’ (1) • Non-formal and informal learning in different context (‘lifewide learning’): learning within different networks, which can help built social capital (networks as a pre-condition for developing social capital but also as an outcome of increased social capital; lifelong learning as a pre-condition for developing social capital, but also as an outcome of increased social capital) • Non-formal learning in networks often consciousnessly planned and on the basis of own initiative • Informal learning often spontaneous and not directed (though implicit direction by professionals or volunteers can enhance informal learning opportunities)

14. Lifelong learning, social capital and ‘identity capital’ (2) • Less positive experiences with formal learning can result in negative attitudes and behaviours towards non-formal and informal learning, which can impede the forming of social capital • Creating ‘low threshold’ provisions for vulnerable groups as well as a ‘save learning environment’ is of eminent importance for enhancing lifelong learning and the growth of social capital among these groups

15. Lifelong learning, social capital and ‘identity capital’ (3) • Strengthening of social capital contributes to the development of ‘identity capital’ • At the same time, building ‘identity capital’ is pre-conditional for the (further) development of social capital • Link between social capital and ‘regulative capacities’: the capacity to utilise and mobilise available skills, competences and external resources (in order to achieve one’s goals)

16. What is the contribution of lifelong learning to poverty reduction? To make LLL more effective we need to: • Achieve a better balance in the use of public resources to support learning of disadvantaged adults; recognition of the need to support development of social and identity capital as well as human capital • Strengthen the role of different infrastructures and partners in enhancing lifelong learning (national and local governments, local communities, volunteer organisations, enployer’s and employee organisations)

17. LLL contribution to poverty reduction (continued) • A comprehensive approach to a family learning architecture (enhancing the learning of all family members as part of the support to families vulnerable to poverty) • Enhancement of non-formal and informal learning • Enhancement of community learning, participation and change (helping people to access connections, create networks, become social innovators and entrepreneurs, releasing individual and collective action that can achieve real change for individuals, communities and areas)