Page 12 - IJPS-9-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Barriers to learning at a U3A in Lebanon

attributed a paramount importance in explaining human actions of other institutional agents limit an individual
conduct. As a compromise to this “monolithic” one-sided learner’s agency. Structures mediate such (inter)actions
emphasis, Giddens (1984) claims that “the basic domain of but, in turn, (re)produce them across time and space,
study of the social sciences, […], is neither the experience obeying the duality of structure.
of the individual actor, nor the existence of any form of
societal totality, but social practices ordered across space 4. Methodology and methods
and time” (p. 2). These social practices are recursive and To examine the barriers that confront older learners, this
continually recreated by social actors as they express study opted for a qualitative research design, employing
themselves as actors. Consequently, structural analyses a reflexive deductive thematic analysis with ten older
of a social phenomenon, including barriers to older adult learners at the U3A in Lebanon.
learning, would be more complete when considering
individual agents’ motives and reasons for action. 4.1. The empirical context
The second vital concept for this study is reflexivity. Inaugurated in 2010, the U3A in Lebanon offers educational
Giddens argues that agents are knowledgeable about why opportunities for older adults aged 50 years or older.
they engage or not in a specific action; one type of knowledge Its modus operandi runs, to a large extent, in parallel to
ability in Giddens’ sociology is called reflexivity. Giddens U3As in other countries (Hachem & Vuopala, 2016). The
(1984) stresses reflexivity as a form of knowledgeability, U3A operates under the continuing education center at a
which he defines as “… not merely self-consciousness but prominent private university in Beirut, offering tertiary
as the monitored character of the ongoing flow of social educational programs in various academic disciplines.
life,” and accordingly, he grounds it “in the continuous The first of its kind in Lebanon, this lifelong learning
monitoring of action which human beings display program provides an age-friendly academic environment
and expect others to display” (p. 3). Knowledgeability where older learners can exercise their passions and share
underlines that humans are purposive agents, and they their wisdom as they interact with other older learners,
have reasons for the activities they undertake. In other faculty members, and traditional university students.
words, when asked, agents can discursively explain these Each academic term (two per year) has a rich palette of
reasons, even when/if they lie about them. Indeed, this lectures, study groups, field trips, book clubs, and online
reflexivity is neither perfect nor absolute since sometimes house parties. Even during the pandemic, the U3A moved
the intentions behind an action and its consequences do its educational activities online and organized socially-
not match. oriented events called house parties over Zoom, and at
the time of writing, it plans to continue offering education
The functions of action, the third vital notion in this following a hybrid model. The curriculum covers diverse
study, must be clarified to understand how consequences subjects encompassing humanities, arts, sciences, health,
escape the intention of actions and become barriers to and politics. Teachers, who consist of university staff, faculty
learning in older age. Action, according to Giddens (1979), members, and younger university students, in addition to
has latent and manifest functions, and that is why he those recruited from wider social spheres, provide their
emphasizes that we “investigate the effects of the ‘escape’ services free of charge and enact their teachings with a large
of activity from the intentions of its initiators upon the margin of freedom. Over the years, the U3A attracted more
reproduction of practices …” (p. 216). Sometimes, actors than 800 older learners. However, its membership remains
may not be aware of the consequences of their actions characterized by the dominance of the educated middleclass
as they (re)produce social systems; thus, these are called living in the capital, Beirut (Hachem et al., 2017).
unintended consequences of action. Such a latent function
is distinguishable from a more manifest function to action, 4.2. Recruitment of informants, interviews, and
which is the initial intention behind an action. The more ethical considerations
reflexive agents are, the more aware they become of Before data collection, ethical approval was secured
possible unintended consequences of their actions and, through Sweden’s national ethical review board and
hopefully, ways for their mitigations. through the host university’s institutional review board

Taking cues from Giddens (1976; 1984), this study in Lebanon. After informing current and previous
posits that barriers at lifelong learning institutions for older members of the U3A about this study and the possibility
people are henceforth defined as intended or unintended of participating, an online survey link was sent to older
consequences to the (inter)actions of institutional agents learners who had responded positively to the call. Out of
(learners, teachers, and administrators). Barriers, which the 40 replies received, 11 consented to participate in semi-
older learners experience, are then formed when the structured interviews. Since one of these 11 informants

Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.375