Lifelong learning for older adults: Culture and confucianism

Abstract

The chapter examines culture and learning with regard to contemporary views and theories that contribute to a major debate on Eastern and Western scholarship. Focusing on lifelong learning for senior adults, this chapter draws on findings from a cross-cultural study to compare and contrast the elderly in Hong Kong and Australia, with regard to ageing and learning. The Confucian perspective of learning is then examined to compare and contrast the Eastern and Western ideas of lifelong learning. The chapter concludes by drawing attention to the factor of age in learning, which in turn establishes the relevance of the Confucian view of lifelong learning to older learners.