Gerontagogy and Wisdom in a Perspective of Lifelong Learning in the XXIst Century

Lifelong learning is called to face demographic challenges and economic issues. The international organisations interpret this concept in several meaning: alphabetisation, democratic citizenship, well-being at the workplace or prerequisite for the entrance to the work market. In addition, a variety of legal instruments advocates lifelong learning for elderly people and the rights arising from: rights for elderly people, right to social security or right to education. The last one represents the hard core for gerontagogy, a new reality extolled in the field of educational and social sciences. The gerontagogy aims to arm elderly people with knowledge, skills and abilities for better participate in the social, cultural, familial and political life. Furthermore, the acquisition of wisdom seems become the primary objective of the learning activities for elderly people. In this article, we analyse the articulation between lifelong learning, gerontagogy and wisdom for elderly learners through a holistic approach.

Keywords: gerontagogy, wisdom, elderly people, lifelong learning