Die Macht der Bilder. Zum Umgang mit Altersbildern im Kontext lebenslangen Lernens

The present article examines the relationship between lifelong learning and images of old age focusing on the documentary interpretation of pictures and the group discussion of a photo showing an older man in front of a PC in a teaching-learning situation. The sobering result of this investigation is that the photo activates frames of orientation that are opposed to the intention to choose precisely this picture to promote lifelong learning. This provides proof of how persistent and powerful pictures of old age that are linked to experience can be and of how they often thwart efforts to positively depict old age. The authors come to the conclusion that campaigns for a change in mentality regarding pictures of old age and lifelong learning must be viewed at the very least with caution with regard to their hoped-for success since pictures of old age linked to experience can also be consolidated and reproduced through milieu-specific interpretations.