Page 9 - IJPS-9-3

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

class, gender, race-ethnicity, sexual orientation, urban- obstacles included reduced mobility, sight, hearing, and
rural divide, and disability operate to restrict learning illness, the most frequently cited were cognitive. They
opportunities, they always operate in tandem with each touched on personal issues, such as failing to concentrate,
other (Findsen & Formosa, 2016a; 2016b). Indeed, it is being overwhelmed by information, forgetting procedural
essential to recognize that the issues of participation and sequence, and needing to “be taught in language they
non-participation in older adult learning interlink with understood” (Purdue & Boulton-Lewis, 2003, p. 136–137).
a myriad of dualistic structural and individual relations; In this study’s sample, older women struggled more in
the separation of which is anticlimactic. Although older using computers and phone banking and accessing the
persons’ decision to engage in learning manifests as an premises, signaling a differential gender-based experience
individual decision, the surrounding policy, institutional, of barriers.
and environmental context directly impact the availability
and nature of educational programs, and institutional More recently, and focusing again on the Australian
agents, in turn, can impact this context. context, Boulton-Lewis et al. (2016) reached similar results.
The authors reported personal barriers, such as health,
The present study aligns with a recent theoretical money, and a lack of time, and structural barriers, including
undertaking framing older adult education in a Giddense long travel distances to learning venues (especially for older
an structurationist perspective (Hachem, 2023) and takes persons living in rural areas), non-interesting subjects,
stock of the above research gap. Cognizant of the possibility lack of computer skills, limited information on curricula,
that life chances can lead older persons to be excluded, or and employment schedules. In this case, individual and
exclude themselves, from late-life learning (Hansen et al., structural barriers were highlighted separately. Other
2019), this work, among others, investigates insufficiently institutional barriers experienced by the sample, which the
examined difficult personalities acting as possible barriers survey quantified, consisted of “administrative bureaucracy
(Brady et al., 2013). First, it evades the literature’s standard (26.4%), not being able to get into one’s course of choice
practice to separate barriers into individual and structural (24.7%), being ineligible for admission (18.8%), having
levels, thus their oversimplification. Second, it unpacks a low educational background (18.1%), having had bad
their complexity by proceeding at a more illuminating experiences at school (13.1%), and not feeling welcomed
angle, that of Anthony Giddens’ (1984) notion of duality on campus (10.3%)” (p. 191).
of structure. Subsequently, it examines the barriers older
persons encounter during non-formal learning activities In the North American context, Silverstein et al.
when barriers correspond to the outcomes of (inter) (2002) evaluated the age-friendliness of the University
actions (or the lack thereof) among institutional agents. of Massachusetts in Boston by focusing on the barriers
Drawing from empirical data at a University for the Third older adults face when pursuing higher education.
Age (U3A) in Lebanon, this study answers two research Findings showcased dispositional, situational, and
questions: (i) what barriers confront older learners when transportation- and technology-related barriers and
engaging in non-formal learning? Furthermore, (ii) taking classroom-related difficulties. The program schedule,
older learners’ perspective, how are these barriers (re) caring for grandchildren, and other family obligations
produced in the (inter)actions of different institutional were perceived as significant hurdles by respondents,
agents? especially those aged 50 – 59, as were the difficulties
concerning their transportation and commuting to
2. Literature review and from the university campuses. As expected, digital
The literature dealing with barriers to older adult learning competency was reported as a barrier inversely related
is primarily premised on Cross’s (1981) typology of to age. It followed that the majority of respondents aged
dispositional, institutional, and situational barriers or 60+ (58%) expressed greater interest in the opportunity to
Darkenwald & Merriam’s (1982) typology of situational, enroll in classes through television in community centers
institutional, informational, and psychosocial barriers. or colleges compared to 51% of respondents aged 50
A summary of this literature shows that a dualistic – 59 who preferred the Internet as the medium. Finally,
perspective on barriers to learning in older age may be respondents highlighted how difficulties in locating
timely. For instance, Purdie & Boulton-Lewis (2003) classrooms, scheduling appointments with professors, and
interviewed 17 older Australians about the barriers the demands of assignments were additional obstacles for
that prevent them from accessing learning activities. them. While acknowledging the study’s limitation in that
Informants pointed toward age-related physical and the sample was healthy and relatively highly educated,
cognitive limitations, personal complications, and social results noted a significant break when persons surpass
difficulties — most of these accompany aging. If physical their 60 birthday as far as barriers are concerned, where
th

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