Foreword

As the Chinese society is accelerating towards an aging society，the increasing number of the elderly is gaining prevailing attention.Elderly learning has also emerged as a part of research within the field of lifelong education.The construction of learning cities by the Chinese government has led to an establishment of a wide learning network.This allows further learning opportunities for the seniors.This book aims to explore the specific learning situation of the elderly，focusing on learning activities within their lives.The methodology of qualitative case study was used by conducting interviews with elderly learners in community shools in Changning District of Shanghai.Focusing on the narratives of 14 participants describing their daily learning activities，elderly learning and elderly lives were analyzed.Main participants were retired elderly，participating in learning activities.Their lives before and after retirement，learning needs，external conditions on learning，processes of participating in learning，and the changes in their lives were analyzed.Moreover，in order to fully grasp the elderly learning phenomenon in the community schools，perceptions of administrators working in government departments and community schools were considered as well.

This book depicted the vivid reality of elderly learning and lives in China，analyzed elderly lives in four dimensions，and drew interrelationship between elderly learning and lives in the specific cultural and institutional context of a Chinese learning city.Elderly learning is triggered from their lives，and it dissolves into their lives as a constituent.As the elderly engage in learning activities，their lives face changes.New aspects recurrently require further learning，building the continuum of learning activities.Learning forms a continuum，but is not a fixed structure in itself.It consistently moves ahead in a circulating structure.Since this does not have a fixed period of circulation，the relationship between elderly learning and elderly lives seems to halt standstill，or even reverse itself.Yet，the relationship eventually appears as an ascending spiral，in a process of development and new advancements.In the Chinese learning cities of Shanghai，the ascending spiral structure not only drives changes in elderly lives and learning，but also influences community culture and socio-institutional aspects on elderly care.

This book analyzed the ascending spiral relationship of elderly learning and lives in four dimensions of corporeal （physical），mental，familial，and social lives.These dimensions particularly deal with interrelationship between learning and lives of the elderly.The four dimensions of elderly learning and lives show that learning activities in community schools draw changes of the elderly toward social beings，as well as influencing the culture and institutional aspects of the community.Cultural aspects include changes in perceptions toward learning participation，expanding recognitions of the community，and vitalization of activities associated with learning.In institutional aspects，it also suggests a new approach to elderly care services，different from traditional services provided by families and social institutions.

This book analyzed and explicated elderly learning in the perspective of lifelong learning.It shed lights on the influences and meaning of lifelong learning on the lives of the elderly in China.In general，the younger generations face a consistent need to learn in a rapidly changing society.In contrast，however，some people think that retired elderly，moving far away from society，do not have the need to continue learning.This study aims to show the meaning of lifelong learning attached to the lives of the elderly，through analyzing the interrelationship between elderly learning and elderly lives in the Chinese context.

“Applying learnt knowledge into practice” alludes the association between learning and life.Elderly learning is founded upon learning needs triggered from their lives，and it eventually consists a part of the lives.For the elderly，learning and life are not separated:they form a unified whole.By analyzing actual experiences in elderly learning，this book figured out the specific elderly learning needs and content in China，and inferred components that were previously overlooked.

Furthermore，elderly learning is possible through systematic and cultural support from the community，along with the individual learner's efforts.Elderly learners were creating environmental conditions to become amicable to their learning activities，and this showed social services that are currently required to facilitate elderly learning in China.This also gave suggestions on how to promote elderly learning within learning cities，actively being established in China nowadays.

This book is expected to contribute to spurring understanding and social support in China on elderly lives.Elderly lives are often illustrated focusing on physical frailness and atrophy，and this tendency is particularly strong in China.Yet，the active roles of the elderly in participating to learn and live are depicted in this book.Elderly learning leads to their participation and practice in society，and the interrelationship of their learning and lives foster restructuring of culture and social institutions related to the elderly.This clearly shows values and contributions of the elderly within the society.On prejudices of the elderly as passive，frail，and a receiver of external support，the findings show that the elderly engage in learning and their own lives as active agents.

本书受到浙江工业大学研究生教材建设项目资助。

肖　岩