Pois oppimisyhteiskunnan marginaalista? : koulutuksen merkitys vuosina 1960-1990 opiskelleiden lapsuudestaan kuurojen ja huonokuuloisten aikuisten elämänkulussa

Abstract

Koulutuksen, varsinkin erityisopetuksen, on oletettu ehkäisevän syrjäytymistä tai ratkaisevan syrjäytymisen ongelmia. Elina Lehtomäki selvitti koulutuksen merkitystä perusasteen jälkeen erityisopetuksessa opiskelleiden, lapsuudestaan kuurojen ja huonokuuloisten aikuisten elämänkulussa. Tähän ryhmään kuuluvien koulutustaso oli matalampi ja työllisyys heikompi verrattuna väestöön yleensä. Ulkomaisten tutkimusten mukaan koulutustaso, työllisyystilanne ja sosiaalinen asema kuitenkin muuttuivat sukupolvesta toiseen siirryttäessä. Koulutus oli tärkeä tekijä sosiaalisen aseman muutoksessa. Oliko näin myös oppimisyhteiskunnan mallimaassa, Suomessa?

After the Second World War, the Finnish education policies and system changes have intentionally aimed at a learning society, as originally defined by Torsten Husén. In this dissertation study I applied the sociological life course research approach, and explored participation in the learning society and meaning of education. Differently from the previous Finnish life course research, I focused on the margins within the learning society, perspective of people who were deaf or severely hard-of-hearing from childhood, and who have attended special education programs after completing compulsory schooling. Changes in the Finnish society, life course and in post-compulsory education formed the framework for the research. The research questions were: 1) What study opportunities have deaf and severely hard-of-hearing students had? 2) How has participation deaf and hard-of-hearing students in post-compulsory education changed? 3) What is the meaning of education to deaf and hard-of-hearing students? 4) Which social factors explain the meaning of education in the life course of deaf and hard-of-hearing people? Data consisted of documents, 493 questionnaire responses of deaf and hard-of-hearing adults (age 25-60 years), and 12 focused interviews. According to the document analysis I divided the post-compulsory education development to four phases. The phases produced two educational generations of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. On the basis of the quantitative life course data analysis I selected 12 interviewees who represented the two generations and differed maximally by their educational careers, employment status and family status. In order to find the social meaning of education I analysed the interview data according to themes and key contents, and interpreted the findings in the context of each educational generation. Changes towards more inclusive post-compulsory education provision were 10-20 years behind the general education sector reforms. Consequently, widening and increasing post-compulsory study opportunities failed to change the meaning of education for the target group. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people of the vocational special education generation experienced that education meant employment. The second generation, who in principle, had access to all forms and levels of education, valued equal educational participation and information, but encountered barriers to employment. For both generations education represented instrumental value, differently from the general Finnish educational generations. Learning society is to pay due attention to risks of marginalisation.