Informal Learning in Youth Organisations

Author(s):

Anke Grotlueschen(presenting / submitting)Alf-Tomas Epstein

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

06. Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures

Format:

Paper

Session Information

06 SES 04, Formal and Informal Learning of Young People in Mediatised Environments

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-03

09:00-10:30

Room:

B109 Sala de Aulas

Chair:

Yngve Troye Nordkvelle

Contribution

Informal Learning in Youth Organisations

The survey EUYOUPART about youth and participation in Europe shows the role of youth organizations concerning political and social participation ({Spannring 2008 #12325}). Longitudinal studies like the British Birth Cohort Study ({Feinstein 2006 #12322}) inform us that youth organization and participation correlates and the effect of youth organization differs. Scholars agree that informal and non-formal learning takes place in these organizations ({Munsch 2010 #12327}; {Riekmann 2010 #12410}), but how it differs and why it happens, which directions it takes and why themes are suppressed, might need further clarification. We hypothesize that mentoring relationships and habitus influence the style and themes of informal learning within the youth organization. The study “Youth Organizations, Habitus and Interest” is carried out by a research team in Essen and Hamburg (Bremer, Kleemann-Göring, Epstein, Grotlüschen).

Method

Methodology & Research Question We would like to present results from interviews with novices and more experienced members of youth organizations and discuss whether mentoring relations and informal learning procedures lead to new ideas for the novices about their future life and the political themes they engage in. 6 Group workshops (project part of Kleemann-Göring & Bremer) and 40 qualitative interviews with young adults aged 18+ (project part of Epstein & Grotlüschen) are carried out with members from five different organizations from a technical background (Jugendfeuerwehr), a civic and Christian background (Pfadfinder), from workers’ tradition (IG Metall), a migrant group inside the Arbeiterwohlfahrt-Jugendwerk), from a rural and farming tradition (Landjugend) and from football (Ultras). While we do not claim our results to be representative for the complete youth organization, but we suppose that the internal logic of actions and reasons for informal learning can be generalized. The interviewees were asked after the group workshops to allow in-depth interviews, especially if there are mentoring relations between novices and more experienced group members. Coding follows the principles of “grounded theory”.

Expected Outcomes

First results confirm that scouts and confessional youth organizations, volunteer firefighters, trade unions’ youth organizations, farmers’ organizations and football fan club structures have different types of participants and programs and show a variety of patterns of action. Mentoring plays a large role in each of the organizations but it has an either 'open' or 'subtle' style. 'Learning' is rather a bloodless concept repeated often but not very often filled with details. The current pressure against youth organizations seems to prepare their members to have arguments to legitimize the necessity of their work. In neoliberal times, individual competence gains seem to be one of these arguments (social competence). This might be an outcome of the popularity of so-called "accreditation of prior learning".

References

Bremer, H. (2007). Soziale Milieus, Habitus und Lernen: Zur sozialen Selektivität des Bildungswesens am Beispiel der Weiterbildung. Univ., Habil.-Schr.--Hamburg, 2005. Bildungssoziologische Beiträge. Weinheim: Juventa-Verl. Retrieved from http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=2968587&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm Feinstein, L., Bynner, J., & Duckworth, K. (2006). Young People’s Leisure Contexts and their Relation to Adult Outcomes;. Journal of Youth Studies, 9(3), 305–327. Munsch, C. (2010). Engagement und Diversity: Der Kontext von Dominanz und sozialer Ungleichheit am Beispiel Migration. Übergangs- und Bewältigungsforschung. Weinheim, Bergstr: Juventa. Retrieved from http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=3394474&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm Riekmann, W. (2010). Demokratie und Verein. Potenziale demokratischer Bildung in der Jugendarbeit (Dissertation), Hamburg. Spannring, R. (Ed.). (2008). Youth and political participation in Europe: Results of comparative study EUYOPART. Leverkusen: Budrich [u.a.]. Retrieved from http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=3052730&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm / http://www.gbv.de/dms/sub-hamburg/556759591.pdf

Author Information

Anke Grotlueschen (presenting / submitting)

Hamburg University

Hamburg

Alf-Tomas Epstein

University Hamburg

Department for Lifelong Learning