Absent bodies and invisible lives

6. Social capital

Although many older adults do not participate in organized forms of education and learning, many of them are involved in other non-educational organizations in the community and this is mostly because of social motives.

Voluntary firefighters from Zadobrova:

Image: VFA Zadobrova

They notice positive influence of membership and informal learning in these associations such as better quality of life and well-being of members and the local community as a whole. This is the way for older men to stay connected, needed and useful, to regularly meet other generations and members of their local community.

Reflect

If you think of some volunteer associations in your community, would you say older men are a part of them mostly because of social motives or are there any other more important motives?