Recording memories and traditions for the future

Seppo TahvanainenAdult Education Centre of Kuusankoski

Tuusula 7.10.2006Workshop: study circle

Aims of the Memtra project

The MemTra project aims

- to activate elderly people

- to participate in life-long learning and

-thus maintain their intellectual activity and memory and

-to avoid exclusion from the role of an active citizen.

During the project we have arranged study circles where the attendants have been able to remember and record their own memories.

Study circles in Finland

   

In Finland (in Kuusankoski AEC) we have four active study circles:

Recollecting traditions and memories from the village of Maunuksela in Kuusankoski

Tradition and memory group of Jaala

High Spirits Group of Etappi

High Spirits Group of Rekola

Maunuksela in Kuusankoski

Orientation basis of the group

The basis and framework for this recollection is an old map of the area. With the help of the map the attendants go through the various phases of the Maunuksela area.

In addition to the map, the reminiscing process is guided by another orientation basis which depicts the various sectors of the human life.

Researching study circle The group meets once a month with its leader to recollect, discuss and evaluate the information collected. Some of these discussions have been recorded and transcribed. Old photos support the text and they also act as memory refreshers.

Between the meetings both the leader and the attendants independently collect and revise information.

The goal is to publish the collected material on the Internet and/or as a book. 

Jaala group is collecting storiesTradition and memory group of Jaala is a study circle collecting stories. The stories are connected to places with the help of a map.

Also this group meets once a month with its leader.

The study circle has its own Finnish website http://www.perinnepiirit.com/ which has plenty of stories, spoken material, songs and photos.

A part of the study circle production has ended up as background material in a manuscript for a local theatre performance.

However, the most important thing to the group is the group itself. Getting together, having good time and enjoying themselves. It is not about the effectiveness or results; it is about understanding themselves and their place in this complex world.

Like they say: "If you don't know where you're coming from, you can't know where you're going to."

High spirits groups These groups have applied a life course method.

The working method includes partly therapeutic elements. The focus is on the ability to keep up the memory and to prevent dementia.

As activating methods they the use stories (prosaic), pictures, music, small exhibitions and performances.

Human dialogue, the sharing of emotional experiences and the social dimension - the invisible connection between people is important.

The process is more important than the result.

Study circle in EstoniaIn Pärnu Folk University of Nooruse Maja memories have been collected among three generations by using art as a way of expression.

1. Round table conversations between different generations.

2. Written memories have been collected on the following themes: Easter Holiday, Midsummer Night and Christmas.

3. The attendants have painted their memories on porcelain.

4. Organising exhibitions and publishing a small booklet has been a significant part of the project.

   

Pille Ungerson and Mari Liis

Father was a fisherman and brought home a lot of fish. I was frightened by the fish, which looked like snakes and which was called an eel.

Isa oli kalamees ja tõi palju kalu. Mind ehmatasid ussi taolised kalad, mille kohta öeldi angerjas.

Study circles in Denmark

In Denmark in Aabybro there is a study circle called "The History of the Village of Biersted and its Neighbourhood over the past 100 years".

Its themes are, for example, how traditional working life was in the countryside in the past,

The process of this theme is supported by the local archives of Biersted which have organised a digitising project and a project for recording old music performances.

   

Study circles in Hungary

In Hungary in Orosháza Petöfi Cultural Centre has two themes:

“Live history – war memories", because Orosháza was the biggest military settlement of the County of Békés, with three military corps.

Another theme is "Gastronomic traditions". They have already published a recipe book.

There are four recollecting groups which are dealing with these themes.

    

Common featuresAs can be seen from the before-mentioned, memories can be recorded in many different methods in study circles.

This variety has given the project participants plenty of new ideas for developing their own study circle activities.

However, there are certain common characteristics for the study circle activities:- The activities have a goal and a plan - The activities are based on volunteers and self-guidance - The activities contain social cooperation - The activities create a snowball effect, in other words when one person remembers something another person remembers something more about the same thing

Working methodsThe working methods have included -conversations, -presentations, -information seeking from written materials and interviews, -excursions to museums, archives and libraries,-produced material-own exhibitions

It is important -to use working methods that are approved by the group members.

-to have mutual trust so that also sensitive matters can be discussed

-to have clear and functioning division of tasks between the participants and the leader

Learners and teachers

The study circles were actively attended especially by elderly people.

The turnout of the participants according to gender and country is: Finland 85 females and 26 males, Estonia 3 males and 17 females, Denmark 11 males and 3 females and Hungary 35 males and 42 females. The total amount of the participants is 222.

Every group has had a leader or tutor. They have participated in the project motivated by their own inspiration and interests.

www.memtra.frac.dkWe have mainly English project website. The website gives mainly good examples and inspiration. For the partner organisations this is sufficient enough.

The cooperation between teachers and the use of website has been restricted by the fact that all of them do not have good enough English skills. Since the study circle attendants are mainly ageing people, the use of the website has been limited.

Due to the vast amount of the material, it is not possible to publish and translate it all in all languages.

For this reason the goal is to increase the share of each country's own language on the sites.

DiscussionThe website's discussion forum is meant for active participants of the project. Its use has been limited by teachers' insufficient English skills.

The e-mail correspondence between persons in charge has been lively. The aim is to increase interaction also between groups, despite the language limitations.

We have decided to select some common themes for reminiscing, and the produced material will be delivered to other participants for familiarising and commenting.

SkypNet will be available for the groups to use for communication.

VisitsNow when the second year has started, three visits have been organised in the project:

In FinlandIn HungaryIn Denmark

These visits have given the group leaders and some learners possibilities for getting acquainted with the study circle activities in the target countries and they have also provided training for the group leaders by benchmarking.

The last visit will be in Estonia.

Reflections on the methods

In Finland the groups have been too big in order to guarantee efficient work, although results have been received.

However, we did not want to restrict participation, if the theme has been found interesting.

It is advisable to divide a big group into smaller working groups.

The best size for a discussion group is 5-10 persons in order to give each participant an opportunity to express their ideas.

In LP projects

It is important for the active cooperation

-that the partners from different countries meet right at the beginning of the project or

-know each other previously

-it is also a great advantage if the project partners stay the same from the beginning to the end

-that for elderly learners cooperation and contacts there is sufficient interpreting

-and …

www.memtra.frack.dk

Contacts: seppo.tahvanainen@kuusankoski.fi