Transition from the “Information Age” to the “Age of Inclusion”
Assignment #5: Designing Systems Interventions
Carnegie Mellon, Transition Design Seminar, Spring 2023
Team Holarchy: Jasmin Palermo, Gabriela Arias, Gladys Mercier, Misari Patel, Saurin Nanavati
During this semester our team has utilized the Transition Design Framework to explore the wicked problem of “Social Isolation of the Elderly in Pittsburgh”.
Design Team
Even though this was a theoretical class based on desk research, due to our diverse team demographics we were able to use autoethnographic research to support the design of our ecology of interventions that address this wicked problem. Our group consisted of two undergraduate students, one master’s student, and two doctoral students. The diversity of age and ethnic backgrounds created a dynamic that allowed us to explore our topic from a variety of angles, which created great learning opportunities within our team. When designing an approach that addresses the wicked problem of social isolation of the elderly in Pittsburgh, we leveraged our shared experience as an intergenerational team enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
A Recap
We began our journey together by exploring several dimensions of this wicked problem and quickly discovered that we are living in an Age of Isolation. Some of the worst consequences of social isolation (i.e. physical separation from other people due to living alone) are the health issues that arise from loneliness — the subjective distressed feeling of being alone. Issues that threaten the health of isolated individuals include high blood pressure, heart diseases, a weaker immune system, obesity, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s and death (NIA, 2019). By 2030, all baby boomers will be over 65 and many will be living alone. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of social connections for all of us. Social distancing and fear radically worsened social isolation, especially for elder citizens who lived in senior care facilities that went into total lockdown.
Examining the fears and concerns, and hopes and desires of the three primary stakeholder groups, namely, senior citizens, their families, and care facility managers, we were able to create a map: Understanding Stakeholder Relations. We learned that the greatest fear of seniors is dying alone. This fear also happens to be shared by the family members and the managers of care facilities. Understanding the power dynamics between these three stakeholder groups allowed us to better understand the complexity of decision making that happens at the personal, family and care facility levels.
Our work on the Histories of add content Social Isolation and Loneliness showed that our need for social connectedness originates from our evolution into a social group species. In more recent times, several factors of modern life in the United States combine to make the isolation of the elderly a stuck, wicked problem. The philosophy of individualism becomes an ethos for the founding of the nation, and capitalism drives a consumer mindset, leaving us with no time, money, or energy to care of our elderly family members in our homes.
Using the Domains of Everyday Life framework (Kossoff, 2019) we envisioned a long-term future in the year 2075 when the problem of the isolation of the elderly has been resolved. Our Transition to the Age of Inclusion work helped us realize the need for material changes in the built environment such as senior-friendly transportation systems, and seniors being active participants in civic government and business. But the biggest potential comes from a mindset shift, a non-material intervention that engages the value system of every individual to see seniors in a new light. These insights prepared us for the final step in the process where we incorporate emergent practices, described in the following sections of this paper.
An Ecology of Interventions
One issue at the heart of the problem of the isolation of the elderly is a lack of understanding and appreciation for the knowledge and life experiences that our older generations possess.
This life-long earned wisdom is of great value and can teach future and current generations to learn how to live a full life in sustainable ways. Indigenous and other non-western cultures value these benefits from their elders’ and from that respect comes a feeling of obligation to care for and include elders as equals in the family household. This inclusive mindset is missing in many modern, western lifestyles. To nurture a new worldview, we propose an ecology of interventions that support wisdom transfer to create intergenerational solidarity.
Our proposal intends to achieve a cultural transformation in education to create age-friendly universities supported by senior-friendly tuition policies. We also propose service-based learning programs that bring together youth and seniors in need.
Age Friendly Universities
Cultural transformation in higher education institutions requires that universities accommodate older people and foster new approaches for social learning. As America’s baby boomers age, their influence will shape social services, the labor force, business innovation, technology, infrastructure, policies and institutions. Due to the importance of universities to the economy and culture of Pittsburgh, we recommend CMU to take a leadership role in addressing social isolation of the elderly through access to education. To develop our ecology around utilizing universities in Pittsburgh, we first looked at a few models that we could learn from.
Rob Mark has worked on the development of an age-friendly university (AFU) initiative (Geronotological Society of America, 2022) while he was the head of the Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL) at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland in the United Kingdom. This work also included Dublin City University, Ireland, and Arizona State University in the United States. Mark utilized his experience to author “Promoting universities that engage new groups of older adults”, in the scholarly publication Learning for a Better Future: Perspectives on higher education, cities, business & civil society (Mark, 2021).
He believes that lifelong learning is a human right and that the age-friendly university, or AFU, is a response to the changing nature of the life course from a linear to a more dynamic and complex model. “Increased longevity, coupled with the changing nature of work (that is, more IT and home-based), employment (insecurity) and family structures (more single households and ‘patchwork’ families) suggest the need for a new view on the stages of life.” (Mark, 2021, p. 238).
He points out that most institutions focus on the educational needs of young adults and that “the voices of older members of society have a pivotal role to play in encouraging new approaches to inclusion in universities”. Furthermore, institutions need to consider alternatives to their many systems built around full-time and part-time learning.
Through Mark’s work with age-friendly universities, along with researchers, adult learners and organizations representing older adults’ interests the following principles were distilled. He argues that these principles are the basis for incorporating the interests of older adults into a university’s teaching, research and engagement activities.
- Encourage the participation of older adults in the activities of the university, including educational and research programmes;
- Promote personal and career development in the second half of life and to support those who wish to pursue ‘second careers’;
- Recognise the range of educational needs of older adults (from those who were early school-leavers through to those who want to pursue a masters degree or doctorate);
- Promote intergenerational learning to facilitate the mutual sharing of expertise between learners of all ages;
- Widen access to online educational opportunities for older adults and to widen pathways to participation;
- Ensure that the university’s research agenda is informed by the needs of an ageing society and to promote public discourse on how higher education can better respond to the varied interests and needs of older adults;
- Increase the understanding of students of the longevity dividend and the increasing complexity and richness that aging brings to society;
- Enhance access for older adults to the university’s range of health and wellness programmes and its arts and cultural activities;
- Engage actively with the university’s own retired community; and
- Ensure regular interactions with organizations representing the interests of the aging population.
Senior-Friendly Tuition Policies
A number of states in the US are putting policies in place to subsidize tuition to increase the enrollment of seniors. Some examples are given below.
- Education Code 89330 authorizes the popular California State University system to provide free tuition for seniors. Each campus must grant tuition waivers to California residents age 60 and older. Waived fees include those for tuition, applications, health services, and instructionally related activities. Seniors can enroll in regular-session, undergraduate-level courses in subjects such as art, the humanities, agriculture, and computer studies.
- Article 5, Title 59 under the South Carolina Code of Laws allows state-supported universities to offer free tuition for seniors. A large public university, Clemson provides free college classes for seniors. Learners can choose to audit a class or earn college credit. Students must be residents to receive the benefit, and admission is subject to program approval.
- Provision 4.2.1.9 in the Georgia Constitution includes rules regarding free college for seniors age 62 and over. State residents can take higher education courses at no tuition cost, except at dental, medical, veterinary, and law schools. Georgia Tech — one of the country’s top tech institutes — offers a 62 or Older Program that provides a waiver for both in-state graduate-level tuition and applicable student fees.
- In New York, Assembly Bill A6380, which has not yet passed, would allow for free, for-credit courses for learners age 65 and older. Many SUNY campuses, including SUNY Purchase, already waive tuition for seniors. Additionally, various SUNY campuses offer noncredit courses, seminars, and workshops for retirees.
Similar legislature also exists in Connecticut, Delaware, and Florida. The website BestColleges.com (Wilfong, 2023) provides information on existing programs in 20 universities based in the US.
Service-Based Learning
An inspiring intergenerational connections movement has been growing at colleges across the country. Intergenerational Connections: Students Serving Older Adults, a three-year-old project of The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC, n.d.) and the AARP Foundation, brings together students and primarily lower-income older adults from local communities.
Students work with community organizations to help older adults achieve safer, healthier and more independent living. Those students participating in service-learning projects get the experience of working with at-risk older adults on issues such as social isolation, medication management, fall risk reduction, food insecurity and overall self-care.
In other projects, students celebrate the lives of these older adults by developing oral history projects. Most of all, these two generations enjoy each other’s company. They eat meals together, perform in theater together, dance, sing and worship together. While the older adults get splashed with attention, the younger ones learn empathy, communication skills and an appreciation of the life experience of older adults.
Example #1
Students at St. John Fisher College, a private liberal arts school in Rochester, N.Y. , have been paired with older adults in the community through a very different project — “Bridges Across Generations: Intergenerational Connections through biology and sociology.” Jonathan Millen, visiting assistant professor of biology said, “We work with seniors to basically report their physical and cognitive abilities — I like to call them biomarkers of aging or longevity — and then put together a longevity plan to help those seniors live longer, happier, healthier lives.”
Example #2
Students in Chatham University’s project paired with older adults from Vintage Senior Services in Pittsburgh, where the school is located, sharing food stories and meals and creating a community cookbook. The focus of the project was addressing older adult isolation and food insecurity. Carrie Helms Tippen, associate professor of English with research interests in food studies, said she thinks of food as “a universal experience.” Tippen noted: “At potluck meetings, the seniors appreciated the connections, as well as the chance to talk about food.”
Example #3
“My colleagues and I sing love songs to elders.” That’s how Gloria Wade Gayles, founder and director of the SIS Oral History Project at Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women in Atlanta, described her students’ project. “What we’ve learned from this experience is that being age-conscious in our learning, and in our teaching, produces a new generation for the twenty-first century of age-conscious scholars, writers, and activists.” The SIS Oral History project gives voice and visibility to African-American women elders in the South who range in age from 70 to 107 through activities that bring elders and students together, Gayles said. Students engage in activities including worship, dancing and learning together.
Life-long Learning Campaign in Pittsburgh
The current education paradigm manifests through separate departments, cognitive over affective and practical knowing,, prescriptive curricula and measurable learning outcomes and learning that fails to examine and challenge basic assumptions, values, and ethics (Sterling, 2001).
As education is primarily associated in the public mind with schools and universities, forms of education critical to empowerment and social change — such as lifelong learning, non-formal education, and community education — have received less attention and support (Xhomaqi, 2020).
We believe that the principles and models described above can be incorporated into CMU to enhance social inclusion, active citizenship, innovation and personal development of the student body.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon University offers its members rich opportunities to increase their knowledge, enhance their skills, interact with their peers, and increase their social and cultural awareness. The Institute provides members a wide range of courses taught by members, volunteers, faculty from CMU and other regional colleges and universities, and representatives from community organizations, all eager to share their expertise and engage in dialogue with their peers.The academic calendar is divided into three terms of two sessions each. Courses typically meet for 90 minutes, 4 to 6 times during a session. On average, about 140 courses are offered each term.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute provides a good foundation for CMU to expand on, however CMU can demonstrate the potential of education to help to realize a more inclusive, service based, model that targets seniors through the principles of Age- Friendly Universities stated above.
Senior-Centered Technology Design
Centering seniors in technology design is another element in the ecosystem to overcome social isolation and promote lifelong learning. Online learning platforms, webinars, and virtual communities can provide access to educational resources and facilitate communication and collaboration with others. Social media platforms can also be used to connect with like-minded individuals and share ideas and knowledge.
Participation in online activities may be a gateway to finding and connecting with local community centers, libraries, and schools that offer classes and workshops on a variety of topics, such as art, music, and literature. Joining a club or organization that aligns with one’s interests can provide opportunities for not only learning but increased social interaction. There are many ways to continue to grow and develop throughout one’s lifetime and to connect with a wide range of ages in doing so.
By attending school, utilizing available technologies, and participating in community-based activities, individuals can stay engaged, connected, and curious about the world around them. The presence of senior citizens in community activities enriches the experience of everyone around them.
Conclusion
Due to CMU’s reputation and global campuses it could become a leader in demonstrating a transformative age-inclusive education model that provides an alternative to prevalent education epistemology — reductionism, objectivism, materialism, and dualism — and the collective psyche that maintains them.
We need to break down barriers through intergenerational initiatives, inter- and transdisciplinarity, and action research and community initiatives. This engagement takes forms such as education for different chapters of one’s life, service learning in the community, experiential pedagogies, collaborative inquiry across disciplines, embrace of alternative and non-Western knowledge traditions, the development of sustainability competencies, and futures work (Sterling, 2021).
References
Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). (n.d.) Intergenerational Connections: Students Serving Older Adults. https://www.cic.edu/programs/intergenerational-connections
Geronotological Society of America. (2022). Age-Friendly University (AFU) Global Network. https://www.geron.org/programs-services/education-center/age-friendly-university-afu-global-network
Mark, R. (2021). Promoting age-friendly universities that engage new groups of older adults, in M. Venter & S. Hattingh (eds.), Learning for a Better Future: Perspectives on Higher Education, Cities, Business & Civil Society (Centre for Local Economic Development: Topics in Local Development Volume 1), pp. 233–249, AOSIS, Cape Town. https://doi.org/10.4102/aosis.2021.BK214.11
National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2019 April 23). Social isolation, loneliness in older people pose health risks. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks
Sterling, S. (2001). Sustainable Education: Re-visioning Learning and Change. Cambridge, UK: Green Books.
Sterling, S. (2009). Sustainable Education, in Science, Society and Sustainability: Education and Empowerment for an Uncertain World, eds. Donna Gray, Laura Colucci-Gray, and Elena Camino, Routledge.
Sterling, S. (2021). Educating for the Future We Want. Opening essay for GTI Forum The Pedagogy of Transition. https://greattransition.org/gti-forum/pedagogy-transition-sterling
Wilfong, S. (2023 March 21). 20 Colleges with Free Tuition for Seniors. BestColleges.com. https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/free-college-tuition-senior-citizens/
Xhomaqi, B. (ed). (2020). Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies. Life Long Learning Platform. https://lllplatform.eu/news/lllp-position-paper-lifelong-learning-for-sustainable-societies/
