In an increasingly precarious economic and social framework, in a Time of Uncertainty (Bauman, 2007), lifelong learning is one of the most effective strategies to escape a crisis that affects not only the University, but businesses, and especially the lives of men and women. In the past, work was of crucial importance in defining the identity of an individual. It was characterized by a place and, often, an indefinite period of time. Today, work has become a path of entries and exits where men and women are faced with mobility, impermanence and flexibility, signifying the start of dangerous processes of social exclusion and individual distress. The Universities of Bologna (by Cestriell), RomaTre and Salento with the cooperation of BioSelfLab-s.r.l. are involved in planning the service structures, beginning from an initial definition of Lifelong Learning Centres, in order to foster concrete actions for more sustainable employability, with specific focus also on the employability of women who do not yet have complete gender equality in our country. The action-research benefits from the experience of the American Teaching Centres and European experience of recognition of prior learning, and includes a synergistic cooperation with companies in order to help develop the right conditions for dialogue and increase the chances of success. The research reconstructs the professional experience, with the support of technology, of narrative approaches, and of social transitions, in order to support the recognition and narrative skills of unemployed women. In the permanent learning workshops, the implementation of the ‘personal portfolio’ worker focuses strategically on both the individual and the collective: in this way the University can expand access and can concretely contribute to a new social function of education. The paper has been designed jointly by the three authors: part 1 is attributed to Paolo Di Rienzo, part 2 and 2.1 are attributed to Manuela Gallerani and part 3 is attributed to Maria Ermelinda. The introduction, conclusions and references are compiled in common. The present article is first of all a contribution to the broad field of adult education in the lifelong learning perspective, that, starting from literature and theories in this field, develops a reflection based on action research, related in particular to the use of qualitative methodologies in the learning process of unemployed women enrolled in university. The first part of the paper foregrounds the innovative mission for universities: a new mission related to the necessity to provide adequate feedback to new potential beneficiaries, such as the unemployed women, and to ensuring continuing opportunities for learners throughout their lives. To face the phenomenon of an increasing participation of women at the university, a strategy is necessary to guarantee real, not only formal, rights to access and fair opportunities for adults, as well as the recognition of prior experiential learning. In Italy, in order to effectively address the connection between gender equality and the “human development index”, it is necessary to reflect deeply on the cultural model of the relationship between men and women (the “human development index” measures the development of a nation not only regarding the national income, but also considering the life expectancy of its citizens, disparity, social inequality and the extreme poverty rate). In fact, the Italian learning system, starting from early childhood through to university (except in isolated cases), is not yet based on a gender education able to reveal the false neutrality as much of language (with its dissymetries and lexical and semantics ambivalences concerning male and female gender), as of the cognitive processes (Gallerani, 2015); given that language can create and produce our thoughts and reality (and not only reflect the reality). The third part introduces an innovative action research, designed for women. The proposal considers the start up of autobiographical workshops for recognition of women's skills. The portfolio worker becomes a process and a path for a smart employability. Women create their digital curricula story, write their experiential learning, reflect on their actions, and exchange thoughts and ideas in order to explore their generic and specific skills and improve key competencies. The project considers lifelong learning and adult education methodologies as strategies for social sustainability and at the same time as standards to organize every aspects of didactic work, valuation and governance.
Gallerani, M., DI RIENZO, P., Paolo, ., De Carlo Maria, E. (2017). The University and the Permanent Learning as resources for employability in a Liquid Modernity. METIS(1), 1-11.
The University and the Permanent Learning as resources for employability in a Liquid Modernity
DI RIENZO, Paolo;
2017-01-01
Abstract
In an increasingly precarious economic and social framework, in a Time of Uncertainty (Bauman, 2007), lifelong learning is one of the most effective strategies to escape a crisis that affects not only the University, but businesses, and especially the lives of men and women. In the past, work was of crucial importance in defining the identity of an individual. It was characterized by a place and, often, an indefinite period of time. Today, work has become a path of entries and exits where men and women are faced with mobility, impermanence and flexibility, signifying the start of dangerous processes of social exclusion and individual distress. The Universities of Bologna (by Cestriell), RomaTre and Salento with the cooperation of BioSelfLab-s.r.l. are involved in planning the service structures, beginning from an initial definition of Lifelong Learning Centres, in order to foster concrete actions for more sustainable employability, with specific focus also on the employability of women who do not yet have complete gender equality in our country. The action-research benefits from the experience of the American Teaching Centres and European experience of recognition of prior learning, and includes a synergistic cooperation with companies in order to help develop the right conditions for dialogue and increase the chances of success. The research reconstructs the professional experience, with the support of technology, of narrative approaches, and of social transitions, in order to support the recognition and narrative skills of unemployed women. In the permanent learning workshops, the implementation of the ‘personal portfolio’ worker focuses strategically on both the individual and the collective: in this way the University can expand access and can concretely contribute to a new social function of education. The paper has been designed jointly by the three authors: part 1 is attributed to Paolo Di Rienzo, part 2 and 2.1 are attributed to Manuela Gallerani and part 3 is attributed to Maria Ermelinda. The introduction, conclusions and references are compiled in common. The present article is first of all a contribution to the broad field of adult education in the lifelong learning perspective, that, starting from literature and theories in this field, develops a reflection based on action research, related in particular to the use of qualitative methodologies in the learning process of unemployed women enrolled in university. The first part of the paper foregrounds the innovative mission for universities: a new mission related to the necessity to provide adequate feedback to new potential beneficiaries, such as the unemployed women, and to ensuring continuing opportunities for learners throughout their lives. To face the phenomenon of an increasing participation of women at the university, a strategy is necessary to guarantee real, not only formal, rights to access and fair opportunities for adults, as well as the recognition of prior experiential learning. In Italy, in order to effectively address the connection between gender equality and the “human development index”, it is necessary to reflect deeply on the cultural model of the relationship between men and women (the “human development index” measures the development of a nation not only regarding the national income, but also considering the life expectancy of its citizens, disparity, social inequality and the extreme poverty rate). In fact, the Italian learning system, starting from early childhood through to university (except in isolated cases), is not yet based on a gender education able to reveal the false neutrality as much of language (with its dissymetries and lexical and semantics ambivalences concerning male and female gender), as of the cognitive processes (Gallerani, 2015); given that language can create and produce our thoughts and reality (and not only reflect the reality). The third part introduces an innovative action research, designed for women. The proposal considers the start up of autobiographical workshops for recognition of women's skills. The portfolio worker becomes a process and a path for a smart employability. Women create their digital curricula story, write their experiential learning, reflect on their actions, and exchange thoughts and ideas in order to explore their generic and specific skills and improve key competencies. The project considers lifelong learning and adult education methodologies as strategies for social sustainability and at the same time as standards to organize every aspects of didactic work, valuation and governance.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
