scholarly journals Active Citizenship Programmes for Unemployed Young Adults with Low Skills in Southern Europe: Participation, Outreach, and Barriers

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-35
Author(s):  
George K. Zarifis
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
European Research ◽  
Value System ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Early School ◽  
Participatory Citizenship

AbstractThe development of policies and targeted initiatives that promote or support active participatory citizenship for vulnerable young adults with low skills has largely passed unnoticed in Southern Europe in the last decade. Despite the existing lifelong learning (LLL) strategies, most countries in the area do not place active citizenship for low-skilled young adults as a priority. This chapter is based on the results of the European research project EduMAP (Horizon 2020), and focuses on participation of unemployed young adults with low skills (hence early school-leavers) in educational activities that either focus or promote active citizenship in Southern Europe (Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Spain and Portugal). More specifically the chapter explains the reasons behind low participation rates among vulnerable young adults in the region. South European countries are not yet showing any favourable conditions for increasing participation of the low-skilled unemployed young adults in such programmes. Some of the countries that were hit by economic depression in particular, face –not necessarily for the same reasons– major barriers for implementing policies to increase the number of low-skilled young adults in active citizenship oriented courses. The chapter concludes that one of the problems in promoting active citizenship through adult education activities is that the programmes delivered in the region are still not competence-based. Adult education is not high in the value system, and therefore low skilled young adults do not appear motivated to obtain such skills and competences. A key challenge therefore is to deliver a service that simultaneously meets the needs of the learners, provides sufficient responses to the needs of the local societies, and stimulates further demand.

scholarly journals Programi aktivnog građanstva za nezaposlene niskokvalifcirane mlađe odrasle osobe u južnoj Evropi: Učešće, dometi i prepreke

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1 2021) ◽  
pp. 129-151
Author(s):  
George K. Zarifis
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
European Research ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Value System ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Early School ◽  
Participatory Citizenship

The development of policies and targeted initiatives that promote or supportactive participatory citizenship for vulnerable young adults with low skills has largely passed unnoticed in Southern Europe in the last decade. Despite the existing lifelonglearning (LLL) strategies, most countries in the area do not place active citizenship forlow-skilled young adults as a priority. This article is based on the results of the European research project EduMAP (Horizon 2020), and focuses on participation of unemployed young adults with low skills (hence early school-leavers) in educational activities that either focus or promote active citizenship in Southern Europe (Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Spain and Portugal). More specifcally the article explains the reasons behind low participation rates among vulnerable young adults in the region. South European countries are not yet showing any favourable conditions for increasing participation of the low-skilled unemployed young adults in such programmes. Some of the countries that were hit by economic depression in particular, face –not necessarily for the same reasons– major barriers for implementing policies to increase the number of low-skilled young adults in active citizenship oriented courses. The article concludes that one of the problems in promoting active citizenship through adult education activities is that the programmes delivered in the region are still not competence-based. Adult education is not high in the value system, and therefore low skilled young adults do not appear motivated to obtain such skills and competences. A key challenge therefore is to deliver a service that simultaneously meets the needs of the learners, provides sufcient responses to the needs of the local societies, and stimulates further demand.

scholarly journals Active Citizenship, Lifelong Learning and Inclusion: Introduction to Concepts and Contexts

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Natasha Kersh ◽  
Hanna Toiviainen ◽  
George K. Zarifis ◽  
Pirkko Pitkänen
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
The Social ◽  
Participatory Citizenship ◽  
Political Dimensions ◽  
Social Competences

AbstractThis chapter provides insight into the rationale, background and key concepts of the book and will discuss relevant theoretical considerations, contexts and discourses. The complexity surrounding the conceptual understanding of active citizenship, adult education and vulnerability will be considered, and approaches towards achieving a shared understanding of the nature of adult education and lifelong learning will be addressed within this chapter. In this book, the concept of active citizenship is used as a conceptual lens to understand the role of adult education in including young adults in active social, political and economic participation and engagement. The findings indicate that the social, economic and political dimensions of active citizenship, encompassing the development of social competences, labour market skills as well as civic and political participation, have been related to various educational initiatives (programmes) to engage young adults in active participation. The chapter will open the discussion of the cross-national complexity and interdependencies between adult education, social inclusion and active participatory citizenship, which underpin the dialogue offered in the seven contributions within this book.

scholarly journals Conclusion: Divergences or Convergences? Facilitating Active Citizenship Through Adult Education Across Europe and Beyond

2021 ◽  
pp. 167-182
Author(s):  
Hanna Toiviainen ◽  
Natasha Kersh ◽  
George K. Zarifis ◽  
Pirkko Pitkänen
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Participatory Citizenship ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Challenges

AbstractThe chapter draws the lines of discussion of the book together and scrutinises the findings from the perspectives motivating the EduMAP study. A multiplicity of adult education policies, programmes and actions presented in the book sought answers to the question: What policies and practices are needed in the field of adult education to include young adults at risk of social exclusion in active participatory citizenship in Europe? Each contribution in this volume approached the question from original social and educational starting points, which may further be elaborated on within the national, European and wider contexts. Chapter includes reflections on alternatives to the discourse of Neo-liberal Life-Long Learning and Adult Education, the expectations vs. reality of Adult Education as a means to prevent social exclusion, and key conclusions outlining the future challenges for Active Participatory Citizenship pursued through adult education.

scholarly journals Understanding vulnerability and encouraging young adults to become active citizens through education: the role of adult education professionals

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Toiviainen ◽  
Natasha Kersh ◽  
Jaakko Hyytiä
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Adult Educators ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
Participatory Citizenship ◽  
Mediator Role ◽  
Political Dimensions

The recent debate on active citizenship and adult education has been strongly underpinned by the discussion on how active citizenship could be exercised in a way that would promote inclusion and participation. The paper focuses on the role of adult educators in encouraging young adults in vulnerable life situations to become active citizens specifically through two empirical cases, from Finland and England (UK). The central questions the paper seeks to answer are: how do adult educators conceptualise vulnerability, and how do they see their role as facilitating young adults' active citizenship through their teaching? The consideration of socio-cultural, socio-economic and political dimensions of active participatory citizenship provides the conceptual lens to explore young adults’ participation in different social contexts. The analysis of the case studies supports the argument that active participatory citizenship is indirectly rather than directly included in the education and training of vulnerable young adults. This leads the article to highlight the adult educators’ mediation work in facilitating the socio-economic and political dimensions of active participatory citizenship in interaction with the students. Their mediator role is broadly invisible and in contrast with the ideal of adult education as the straightforward path to socio-economic citizenship and employability.

scholarly journals Review of Valentina Milenkova and Siika Kovacheva’s book „ Regional Insights to Lifelong Learning Policies in Support of Young Adults in Bulgaria“

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-261
Author(s):  
Vladislava Lendzova
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Functional Region ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Functional Relations ◽  
Learning Policies ◽  
The University

Valentina Milenkova and Siika Kovacheva's book "Regional Insights to Lifelong Learning Policies in Support of Young Adults in Bulgaria" (Регионални измерения на политиките за учене през целия живот в подкрепа на младите възрастни в България) has been published in English by Avangard Prima in Sofia in this 2020 - ISBN 978-619-239-316-8. This book presents the increased role of education in the modern European societies. An important milestone in the LLL polices in the book are research projects. Such is the project "YOUNG_ADULLLT - 'Policies Supporting Young Adults in their Life Course. A Comparative Perspective of Lifelong Learning and Inclusion in Education and Work in Europe" with Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Marcelo Parreira do Amaral from the University of Munster, funded under the Horizon 2020 program. One of the important features of the project is its commitment to the functional region – a specific amalgam of functional relations between diverse institutions in a particular area (Parreira do Amaral, 2019). The functional region as a key concept was used in the project to indicate specifics in terms of living conditions, education, institutions that form the skills of young people. The structure of the book is: an introduction, five chapters, a conclusion and annexes. The main focus is on the policies and practices of diverse educational institutions and understanding of the link policy- practice as а decisive factor for modern education.

Rethinking adult education for active participatory citizenship and resistance in Europe

2019 ◽  
pp. 225-238
Author(s):  
George K. Zarifis
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
European Research ◽  
Communicative Practices ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Participatory Citizenship ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Initial Focus

Based on the preliminary results of the European research project EduMAP the chapter discusses the widely recognised yet weakened position of active participatory citizenship and its role in the current debate on the responsibility of adult education as a medium for empowerment and emancipation from prioritised neo-liberal values. The initial focus is on the various problems faced by adult education in Europe. Adult education as a means to achieve active participatory citizenship is then discussed suggesting that it is important to examine the educational implications of relevant theories and practices on citizenship. The paper concludes by suggesting that the current discussion on the challenges European societies face today, must acknowledge the need for adult education to be reformulated in ways that are enriched by diversity and the wide range of learning contexts and communicative practices that pose new challenges.

scholarly journals Dental and Skeletal Imaging in Forensic Age Estimation: Disparities in Current Approaches and the Continuing Search for Optimization

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (05) ◽  
pp. 510-522
Author(s):  
Jannick De Tobel ◽  
Christian Ottow ◽  
Thomas Widek ◽  
Isabella Klasinc ◽  
Håkan Mörnstad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Medical Imaging ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Age Estimation ◽  
Statistical Processing ◽  
Automated Analysis ◽  
Forensic Age Estimation ◽  
European Research ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Case Examples

AbstractMedical imaging for forensic age estimation in living adolescents and young adults continues to be controversial and a subject of discussion. Because age estimation based on medical imaging is well studied, it is the current gold standard. However, large disparities exist between the centers conducting age estimation, both between and within countries. This review provides an overview of the most common approaches applied in Europe, with case examples illustrating the differences in imaging modalities, in staging of development, and in statistical processing of the age data. Additionally, the review looks toward the future because several European research groups have intensified studies on age estimation, exploring four strategies for optimization: (1) increasing sample sizes of the reference populations, (2) combining single-site information into multifactorial information, (3) avoiding ionizing radiation, and (4) conducting a fully automated analysis.

scholarly journals Citizen science – bridging the gap between scientists and amateurs

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Stratilová Urválková ◽  
Svatava Janoušková
Keyword(s):  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Early School ◽  
Wide Group ◽  
Small Team ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThe European Union has been facing common issues such as early school leaving and lifelong learning for years. They are main targets that remain on the EU agenda and all good practice examples are welcome. Citizen science is one of the approaches that seems to have great potential to draw a wide group of people to science in a popular way. People can easily become a part of a scientific team and contribute to research that could hardly be carried out by one small team. Many citizen science researchers deal with issues that are attractive for people because of their usefulness or application (gathering ticks, taking photographs of surroundings) and/or because of the accessibility of the data (typical for biological issues). This aspect also supports bridging the gap between citizens-amateurs and scientists-professionals, as well as lifelong learning. Chemistry is a natural science subject that is rarely performed in citizen science, and little research is devoted to the educational aspect of citizen science projects. Therefore, we present here a brief overview of an increasing scientific design that is widely used in natural science, although rarely in chemistry. Citizen science seems to be a potentially useful tool for improving chemistry education.

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