Intergenerational education in face of the policy discourse of active ageing

Abstract

Like other terms formed with the suffix "ism", such as racism, sexism, among others, the term idadismo intends to account for diverse forms of discrimination based on stereotypes and prejudices against individuals or groups based on age. Although it also covers children and young people, due to various beliefs, such as that they are immature and voiceless in public space, age affects, today, especially older people. In recent decades, it has become one of the main forms of discrimination in our societies, and it is therefore intended to critically analyse this phenomenon on the basis of scientific literature and document analysis using as well as examples of intergenerational programmes. Placing the analysis in the context of the so called "active aging policies", spread mainly by institutions of the European Union, this article discusses the rhetorical and ideological dimension of them, as well as their economic and productivist perspective. In contrast to the political and normatively widespread discourse of "active aging" and "intergenerational solidarity", it advocates a critical intergenerational education capable of promoting and producing intergenerational citizenship. In this way, it is intended to question the increasing institutionalization of the elderly, and also of children and young people, in order to contribute to the strengthening of the public space of education, through democratic and convivial experience.