Leader: Vanna Boffo (UNIFI); Other collaborator(s):
Transitioning to retirement can prove problematic for individuals and costly for society, if the skills acquired in the labour market get lost. This is what frequently happens, but it is precisely at the opposite of hte active-ageing policies that Italy needs to develop. The solution lies in preserving and adjusting senior workers’ acquired capabilities, or at least those that can still prove useful in old age for individuals and society. This can be done through enhanced work-based learning strategies, to be pursued involving trade unions, and trade and professional associations. Among the activities to be carried out, coaching, mentoring, and tutoring, mainly oriented to the third sector.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Quantitative research
- Theoretical map: correlations between predictor’s theories on the transition from working life to retirement and competence frameworks.
- Creating an ad hoc questionnaire: correlating variables with the theoretical map.
- Testing the ad hoc questionnaire: to the group of peer researchers, and a random population.
- Desk analyses: mapping of third-sector cultural associations in the Casentino area and mapping contact persons.
- Pilot phase of empirical research:
- identified 40 associations in the Casentino area, selected for activities related to the valorisation of cultural heritage among 164 associations.
- collected relevant information for the profiling of the 40 selected associations, using custom-made cards; start to contact the sample (approximately 120 subjects) using the ad hoc questionnaire.
The activities were carried out daily and through weekly meetings with the members of the work team, as well as activities to the validation of the questionnaire and the initiation of empirical research. Additionally, a three-day mission in Casentino was necessary, conducting semi-structured interviews with six significant individuals.
Qualitative research
- Literature Review: a reinterpretation of the “care model” connected to the Active Ageing Index in which Lifelong Learning and the acquisition of Life Skills take on a fundamental role, as they contribute to guiding and accompanying transitions throughout life, up to old age and retirement. The literature review cannot be declared complete but remains an activity that will support the entire research work. Validation of research question, hypothesis and objectives: they are aimed at understanding which predictive factors of Active Ageing in the professional context favour or inhibit retirement, promoting the activation of pro-community processes.
- Drafting and validation of the research protocol, the informed consent and the semi-structured interview outline. Sample hypothesis: mapping of Tuscany Social Cooperatives with the support of the stakeholders involved in the research.
- Testing of the semi-structured interview: identification of the management and coordination figures to be interviewed in the testing phase (12).
The activities were carried out daily and through weekly meetings with the members of the work team.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Quantitative research
The correlation between the predictors generated by the theories and Active Ageing paradigm:
- Pillar of health: from individual predictors, lifestyles and health literacy to life skills;
- Pillar of participation: from social predictors and active participation in society to sustainability skills;
- Pillar of safety: from work-related predictors to self career management skills.
- The correlations between predictors and Active Ageing skills can represent a proactive approach in managing the transition from working life to retirement, providing a professional profile of supports.
Qualitative research: the work focused on defining three main fields covering the Active Ageing Pillar and identifying the categories. As follow:
- Pillar 2: Health and Independence: Domain 1 – Exploring Active Ageing Aim: To understand the perception of self-care, knowledge about Active Ageing and caring actions towards others. Categories: Care and dedication (understand whether dedication to another is one of the forms of self-care).
- Pillar 3: Participation in Social Life Domain 2 – Leisure and Social Life Aim: To understand whether, consciously and/or unconsciously, the respondent is carrying out social activities in the local area. Categories: Social investment.
Pillar 1: Work Domain 3 – Professional Role, Organisational Context and Skills for Active Ageing Aim: To understand one's perception of one's professional role and to understand how the work context is able (or not) to provide competences for the active transition to retirement. Categories: 1) Intentionality (understanding the intentional transformation process to see how policies manifest in people's lived experiences); 2) Guidelines on professional role and responsibilities; 3) Relationship between leadership/coordination and self-care (exploring whether there is a dialogue between leadership capacity and the dimension of self-care).
We worked for the preparation of the National Conference “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche educative e formative per l’invecchiamento attivo”, University of Florence 26-27 September 2024 organized by the LEAA (Learning, Education and Active Ageing) transversal Board of the Age-It research program with the Forlilpsi (Formazione, Lingue, Intercultura, Letterature e Psicologia) Department.
The National Conference saw the active participation of several Companies, Association, Institutions, and NGO’s, with 160 participants (from all Italian Regions, and all municipality type, from large cities to small towns.), 52 Good Practices, and eight workshops on five topics (1. The role of the territorial network for lifelong learning during active ageing; 2. For an active citizenship; 3. Care of the Self, care of the other, care of the community; 4. For lifelong learning: formation, training and courses; 5. Older People and Work).
The main results can be summarized as follows: A) Active Ageing and Life Long Learning from the bottom to research; B) Building of the Network; C) Interdisciplinary dialogue; D) Listening to what people have to say, including mature and older people; E) Intergenerational dialogues.
24/09/2024: Vanna Boffo submitted an article (on behalf of the LEAA Board) to the
Journal of Gerontology
: Active Aging in an Aging High-Income Country: The Role of Education and Learning. Insights from a Mixed Methods Study
Quantitative research
- Bibliographic research on the correlations between associations and Active Ageing
- Theoretical map and Review of an ad hoc questionnaire: revision based on the results of the bibliographic research, the statistical verification of the Pilot study in Casentino and BES indicators.
- Testing of the questionnaire: to the group of peer researchers, and a random population for a Delphi study.
Experience abroad (November 2024 -December 2024). Study of the University Age Friendly project of the Lorca Campus of the University of Murcia: theoretical models (Age Friendly University, Cultural Wellbeing, holistic approach, multi-sensory stimulation); participation in two courses, a conference and an event. Desk analysis: demographic and occupational characteristics and Active Ageing Index of Spain and the Murcia region; collection and analysis of data on associations in the region of Murcia and the province of Lorca; bibliographic research of data on the cultural associations involved in the project. Field research: data collection by sending forms via email; data collection through interviews on the trace of the cards sent.
Qualitative research
- Literature Review, especially on the “care model” (Tronto, 1993) and the acquisition of life skills (Sala et al., 2020).
- Validation of hypothesis and objectives (role of the third sector; relevant areas of expertise).
- Definition of the sample: mapping of Tuscany Social Cooperatives with the support of the stake-holders involved in the research (Tuscany Legacoop).
- Testing of the semi-structured interview: Involving 11 Tuscan Consortia and social cooperatives managers and two human resources managers. The interviews explored: 1) the organisation and the professional role, 2) the perception of active ageing in social cooperation, 3) the relationship between the Lifecomp framework and social cooperation, 4) digital competencies for active longevity.
- Data analysis using the Atlas.ti software. The research method used for data analysis is Grounded Theory – open, axial and theoretical coding – (Glaser, Strauss 1967).
Activities 3, 4 and 5 are still in progress.
Meeting of trainers from Anpas National CISL Study Center – Fiesole, 20–22 Sep 2024.
Meeting with Legacoop stakeholder, 21 December, 2024.
Event presentations
- SIPed National Conference, EDUCAZIONE TERRITORI NATURA. Formare al tempo della transizione ecologica, digitale e interculturale, Free University of Bozen, 28-30 November, 2024. Presentation in panel: Formazione continua e prevenzione per l’invecchiamento attivo (AGER). Pro-muovere storie di successo nella transizione dal lavoro alla pensione, Vanna Boffo, Giovanna Del Gobbo.
- National AUSER congress, December 9, 2024: presentation of the research project, Giovanna Del Gobbo, Cristina Banchi.
- Opening seminar of the doctoral year Autobiography of Scientific Research Care, December 12, 2024: Poster and Podcast. Title: Cultural Associations as a Transition Tool from Working Life to Retirement. A Case Study in the Casentino Area, Cristina Banchi.
- Age-Florence opening, 19 December, 2024: presentation of the research project and a poster (The role of Cultural Associations and Social Cooperatives support transition from Working Life to Retirement: A multiple case study in Tuscany, by Vanna Boffo, Giovanna Del Gobbo, Fabio Togni, Debora Daddi, Cristina Banchi).
Submissions and publications
- Two Abstracts submitted to the Conference “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche educative e formative per l’invecchiamento attivo”, 26-27Sep, 2024, University of Florence (The network of cultural associations as a learning context informal for active aging, by Cristina Banchi, and Skills for ageing in the workplace: the case study of Social Cooperative Managers in Tuscany, by Vanna Boffo, Debora Daddi, Christel Schachter). Both to be published by Florence University Press.
- Papers included in the book “Esercizi di Ricerca”, edited by Vanna Boffo and Fabio Togni, published by Florence University Press. (“Education incorporated into work in the transition from working life to retirement”, Cristina Banchi).
Coming soon