Chapter Tessere i fili della vita tra generazioni

Overview & Synopsis

Recent demographic projections indicate that longevity has now become a widespread social phenomenon. The most immediate reaction to the prospect of longer life spans tends to focus on concerns about the financial impact on pension and welfare systems above all else. This reaction is limited to assessing the quantitative dimension of the phenomenon and its effects on welfare systems, without contributing in any way to the development of a new culture of ageing. As a result, the human dimension of old age – the individual dimension of each ageing story – is gradually being lost. This paper aims to reflect on the idea that pedagogy, through the lens of lifelong learning, should include the issue of old age within its scope of meaning and action, embracing the complexity of the factors that characterize it. The goal is to help build a new way of thinking about, representing, and experiencing the later stages of life.