A Temporal Approach to the Relationship between Education and Generation

Abstract

This paper begins by setting out the demographic context within which there is a growing interest in older people and their social role. The notion of generation is briefly considered, and then related to McTaggart's philosophy of time. Next, the paper moves on to discuss how education affects intergenerational relations, dealing first with the question of equality between generations, and secondly with ways in which generations affect each other's learning. Evidence is presented from a recent policy study conducted for the Carnegie Inquiry into the Third Age. The discussion stresses the relevance of a temporal approach to analyses of the distribution of educational opportunity, and to issues of motivation and achievement in education.