WORKING ON FAMILY IN ADULT EDUCATION AND UNIVERSITY TEACHING FROM
AUTO/BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACHES.
DR. JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ MONTEAGUDO
UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE (SPAIN)
[email p o ec ed]
(Pape s published in English in:
E. Lucio-Villegas & Mª. C. Ma ínez (2007) (Coo ds.): P oceedings+o + he+5 h+ESREA+Eu opean+
Resea ch+ Con e ence: Adul Lea ning and he Challenge o Social and Cul u al Di e si y:
Di e se Li es, Cul u es, Lea nings, and Li e acies. Uni e si y* o * Se ille,* Spain,* 20 h* o* 23 d*
Sep embe *2007.
Publishe : Valencia (Spain): Diálogos. ed, ol. 2, pages 88-103.*ISBN:*978A84A935787A4A9).
INTRODUCTION
In his pape I add ess he use o au o/biog aphical me hodology in adul educa ion and
highe educa ion o wo king om an educa ional iewpoin on amily oo s and amily. In my
opinion, his use o amily li e s o ies is se in a c i ical and emancipa o y model o li elong
lea ning and an epis emological model based on he co-cons uc ion o knowledge om he
analysis o pe sonal and social expe ience o ien ed by a complex and sys emic pe spec i e (see
F ei e, 1970; Gelpi, 2005; Fo men i, 2000). C i ical and expe ien ial lea ning is a powe ul
heu is ic concep o con on ing adul lea ning. The pape explo es some opics ele an o
genealogical and gene a ional ques ions, poin ing ou i s sociological, an h opological and
pedagogical implica ions. Concep s such as collec i e memo y, social change, cul u al
ansmission, coho gene a ion, amily communica ion, sel and iden i y a e explo ed in ela ion
o pe sonal g ow h and li elong lea ning. Also, I ou line some ea u es o a pedagogical model
o wo king om an expe ien ial an emo ional amewo k in ela ion o pe sonal and amily
emembe ing.
F om a holis ic pe spec i e, li e his o ies –o al and w i en na a i es o people abou
li ed expe ience, wi h i s di e en p ocedu es, aims and con ex s- a e consubs an ial o human
beings. In his sense, li e his o ies a e a uni e sal an h opological ea u e, p esen in all cul u es
and s ages o human de elopmen . Li e his o ies a e ela ed o e e yday li e and cul u al li e
(in e gene a ional p ac ices o expe ien ial ansmission; in agene a ional p ac ices amongs
pai s; anni e sa ies and commemo a ions; ansi ional momen s; documen s and objec s, such as
pho og aphs and ideos; elabo a ion o cu iculum i ae; biog aphical and au obiog aphical
2
pe sonal li e a u e; audio isual, mo ie and digi al p oduc ions) (Pineau & Le G and, 1996, 5-
13). Acco ding o Pineau and Le G and (1996, 3), li e his o y is unde s ood as “ esea ch and
cons uc ion o meaning om pe sonal empo al e en s”. The di e en cons i uen elemen s o
li e his o ies a e included in his de ini ion: people, empo ali y, meaning and, inally, he
me hodological subjec .
Reco e y o pas and labou a ound indi idual and collec i e li ed expe ience a e highly
opical subjec s. This social en i onmen sa u a ed o pe sonal and collec i e emembe ing –so
many imes hampe ed, manipula ed, o e used- is one o he de ining cha ac e is ics o ou
p esen ime (Ricoue , 2000, 67-163). In his cul u e o emembe ing –in which psychoanalysis,
social sciences, li e a u e and media concu - li e his o ies a e unde going an ex ao dina y
de elopmen (on memo ial con ex and educa ion, c . Deme io, 2003, 159-169).
Au obiog aphical me hods ha e been used in educa ion om he beginning o he
eigh ies. F om a biog aphical iewpoin subjec s such as s uden s, eache s, cu iculum, adul
lea ning, educa ional inno a ion, leade ship, school ime and space and so ha e been s udied.
Resea ch on eache s is an impo an a ea, ocused on e e yday li e, lea ning o p o ession,
cycles o eaching ca ee , eache hinking, a i udes on educa ional change, cu iculum
de elopmen , in-se ice aining and p o essional de elopmen (c . Bolí a , Domingo &
Fe nández, 2001; Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; González Mon eagudo, 1996a, 1996c; Goodson,
1992; Goodson & Sikes, 2001; Zabalza, 1988). In he Anglo-Saxon educa ional se ing, he i s
applica ions o biog aphical me hods a e ela ed o p e-se ice and in-se ice eache educa ion
and eache de elopmen ( o a e iew, González Mon eagudo, 1996c, 2000). The s a ing poin
o he use o li e his o ies in educa ion in he F ench-speaking con ex is ela ed o Gas on
Pineau, au ho s ongly in e es ed in li e his o ies as an ins umen o expe ien ial lea ning o
adul s. Wi h o he educa o s in e es ed in his app oach (such as P. Dominicé, G. de Ville s, G.
Bon alo , B. Cou ois, C. Josso, J.-L. Le G and and o he ), Pineau has anima ed he ne wo k
ASIHVIF (Associa ion In e na ionale des His oi es de Vie en Fo ma ion) o mo e han 20
yea s. This g oup, based in Pa is (F ance), is e y in e es ed in adul educa ion, sel -di ec ed
lea ning and li elong lea ning ocused on au o/biog aphical wo k om an exis en ial, quali a i e
and adical iewpoin (Coulon & Le G and, 2000; Dominicé, 2000; Lainé, 1998; Pineau, 1998,
2000; Pineau & Ma ie-Michèle, 1983; Pineau & Le G and, 1996). In he las ew yea s, a en ion
o au o/biog aphical me hods in educa ion has also been de o ed in I aly, wi h con ibu ions by
D. Deme io (1996, 2003) and L. Fo men i (1996, 1998, 2002, 2004) among o he s.
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1. LIFE HISTORY IN ADULT EDUCATION: OUTLINES OF A PEDAGOGICAL
MODEL
Adul educa o s ha e ound in li e his o ies a me hodology o lea ning (and also o
esea ching) wi h a s ong po en ial in o de o os e a si ua ed and democ a ic lea ning. In he
las 25 yea s his app oach has been used in e y di e en con ex s: w i ing wo kshops, highe
educa ion, associa ions, you h g oups, women g oups, immig an s and e hnic mino i ies,
acc edi ing p io lea ning, wo ke s, adul lea ne s, educa o s, social wo ke s, and so on.
In 1983 G. Pineau published, in collabo a ion wi h Ma ie-Michèle, P odui e sa ie.
Au o o ma ion e au obiog aphie (Pineau & Ma ie-Michèle, 1983; o ou discussion, see pp.
179-190 and 383-391), a s imula ing and inno a i e book, au hen ic s a ing poin o li e
his o ies in adul educa ion. Pineau wo ks he concep s o sel -di ec ed lea ning and li e his o y,
so a concei ed as no ela ed ields, and explains he need o de eloping he educa ion o
adul s om he use o li e his o ies as an ins umen o esea ch and eaching. This app oach has
impo an implica ions o he change o oles o esea che , educa o , and adul lea ne , aimed o
he c i icism o hie a chical models. C i icising subjec i ism, indi idualism and libe alism,
Pineau poin s ou sel -di ec ed lea ning as app op ia ion o he own educa ion by he adul ,
wi hin a democ a ic, expe ien ial, c i ical and libe a o y pe spec i e. I is necessa y o alk and
w i e on he own li e. The au obiog aphy, un il now a p i ilege o he lea ned eli es, should
become democ a ic and accessible o people. Li e his o y is no only a me hod o knowledge bu
also o social ac ion, wi hin a mili an and engaged app oach.
“Li e his o ies –we ead in a documen o ASIHVIF- y o enhance he powe o ac ion
o he pe son on himsel /he sel and on he en i onmen , associa ing him/he o he cons uc ion
o p oduced knowledge” (ASIHVIF, 2005, 2). The models o esea ch and in e en ion a e
quali a i e, ansdisciplina y and collabo a i e. I is unequi ocally ejec ed he gap among
disciplines and he collabo a ion among educa o s, esea che s and lea ne s is p omo ed in all
phases o he p ocess.
In o de o exempli y how li e his o ies a e wo ked wi hin his g oup –and wi hou
o ge ing he a ie y o heo e ical and me hodological app oaches employed by he membe s o
ASIHVIF- we a e p esen ing he wo ks by P. Dominicé (2000, 2002), unde aken in Gene a,
wi h s uden s in he Facul y o Sciences o Educa ion and wi h adul educa o s in a non
uni e si y con ex . The ac i i y consis s o a olun a y semina ocused on educa ional biog aphy
ca ied ou in a weekly session du ing wo uni e si y semes e s. The aim is o wo k he own
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educa ional biog aphy, om o ali y and w i ing, mixing oge he indi idual and g oup wo k.
S uden s p epa e a i s o al na a i e, p esen ed be o e hei g oup and subsequen ly discussed.
Then, s uden s w i e hei educa ional biog aphy, based on he o al na a i e, g oup discussions
and w i en no es aken du ing he eaching sessions. In o de o os e pa icipa ion, implica ion
and cons uc ion o meaning by he g oup, each s uden is asked o ead, in e p e and o ally
commen he biog aphy o one o his/he classma es. Finally, he p ocess is e alua ed h ough a
w i ing epo by each s uden in which i is speci ied he knowledge p oduced h ough he
p ocess om he pe sonal, p ocedu al and cogni i e dimensions.
Dominicé (2000, 16 and 26) commen s ha i s ly he ied o use li e his o ies as a
s a egy o esea ching adul lea ning, bu he was soon shocked by he educa ional possibili ies
o biog aphical wo k, s a ing i s use wi h s uden s. Dominicé also poin s ou he adul lea ne s
ge ascina ed wi h his me hodology ha deals wi h he his o y o pe sonal li e om a holis ic
ou look. Educa ional biog aphy p o ides a e y in ense sense o immediacy, dynamism,
coope a ion, subjec i i y and implica ion. I is also a e y mo i a ing ac i i y o p omo ing
w i ing and discussing on p oduc ion, communica ion and applicabili y o knowledge. Du ing
he lea ning p ocess s o y elle s keep he con ol on he p ocess and he p oduc o he ac i i y.
Theo y and p ac ice a e ela ed ecip ocally. Resea che s, educa o s and adul lea ne s es ablish,
om li ed expe ience, a democ a ic, ho izon al and exis en ial ela ionship. People play a
leading ole in hei educa ion. As Dominicé w i es, “we a e no educa ed un il we can gi e
meaning o ou educa ion –in some ways we a e no educa ed un il we can educa e ou sel es”
(Dominicé, 2000, 80).
Li e his o ies help he explo a ion o pe sonal and amily wo ld om a ee and
subjec i e pe spec i e, wi hin an in e pe sonal amewo k, acing he subjec o his/he con lic s
and a ou ing a posi i e esolu ion o con lic s, in he pe spec i e o wha Ricoeu (2000) has
called a happy emembe ing. Au o/biog aphical me hods a e a way o access o expe ien ial,
subjec i e, a ec i e and eminiscen pedagogical wo k. Pe sonal na a i es help he exp ession
o eelings, and a he same ime hey sensi ize people o he eelings o each o he s, inc easing
empa hy and ole ance. Li e his o ies con ibu e o he p oduc ion o g ounded, expe ien ial and
dialec ic knowledge, de i ed om he ongoing in e play among heo y, esea ch, lea ning
p ocess, and pe sonal and g oup expe ience (c . Pineau, 1983; Pineau & Le G and, 1996; Josso,
2000; Dominicé, 2000).
5
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Now I conside some ideas on lea ning wi h he aim o ela ing expe ien ial subjec i i y
and c i ical, social engagemen . La e I will e u n o amily genealogical wo k and i s
implica ions o eaching and pe sonal de elopmen om an au o/biog aphical pe spec i e. My
pu pose is simila o ha o Wilma F ase when she speaks o acili a ing “indi idual
empowe men whils no losing sigh o b oade social issues” (F ase , 1995, 5). Expe ien ial
lea ning and communica i e in e ac ion is he base o lea ning and change. Fo me, expe ien ial
lea ning, a no ion g ounded in John Dewey, Da id Kolb and Malcolm Knowles, is e y
in e es ing because supposes, as F ase explains (1995, 4-23) a challenge o pos -school
s uc u es and cu icula, combining indi idual de elopmen and social change.
I hink o lea ne as a subjec ha knows, wi hou ei ying o ac i ically legi imizing ha
knowledge. Lea ning means in eg a ion o p ocesses. As poin s ou D. Kolb (ci . in F ase , 1995,
6), “lea ning and change esul om he in eg a ion o conc e e emo ional expe iences wi h
cogni i e p ocesses: concep ual analysis and unde s anding”. Th ough lea ning, he adul
symbolically a els om dependence o au onomy, om passi i y o ac i i y, om sel ishness
o al uism, om sel - ejec ion o sel -accep ance, om imi a ion o o iginali y, om na ow
in e es s o b oad in e es s (F ase , 1995, 9). I is necessa y o loca e subjec i e expe ience wi hin
a wide social con ex , de eloping a mo e c i ical app oach o opics such as iden i y, di e ence
and s uden oice (Ushe , B yan & Johns on, 1997, 42-44; F ei e, 1970; Gelpi, 2005). In his
pe spec i e, sha ing au obiog aphical w i ings and o al accoun s in small g oups o en p omo es
suppo and unde s anding as pa icipan s e lec on hei li es, in an in o mal a mosphe e o ee
exchange (Amino , 1995).
EMOTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF PERSONAL AND FAMILY STORIES
T adi ionally educa ion has been concei ed as me e ins uc ion and ansmission o
objec i e knowledge as a esul . In mo e ecen imes, impo an changes in social con ex ,
educa ional policies and pedagogical me hods ha e helped a be e way o eaching and lea ning.
Ne e heless, educa ion, including some sec o s o adul educa ion, has con inued o be abo e all
a a ionalis ic and cogni i e p ocess. The a ec i e, emo ional and in e pe sonal dimensions ha e
la gely been unde es ima ed. This pano ama is cong uen wi h he pa ia chal sys em, based on
au ho i y, hie a chy and a ionalism (Na anjo, 1993, 2004).
The concep s o in e pe sonal and in ape sonal in elligence, emo ional in elligence,
emo ional educa ion and emo ional li e acy, concei ed in he eigh ies and made popula in he

6
nine ies o he pas cen u y, ha e con ibu ed o ques ion he adi ional and con en ional model
o educa ional p ac ice (Goleman, 1995, 1999; Bisque a, 2001; 2003; S eine , 2003; Ma ina,
2004). Pa icula ly, he concep o emo ional in elligence, popula ized wi h g ea success by
Goleman (1995, 1999) one decade ago, has p oduced a s ong impac on socie y, companies,
schools and amilies. Nowadays i is usual o hea speaking abou emo ional educa ion, a ec i e
educa ion, in e pe sonal educa ion, educa ion o eelings, emo ional li e acy, and educa ion o
sel -knowledge and educa ion o social abili ies ( o a e iew, see Bisque a, 2001; on pas and
how o cope wi h i posi i ely, see Seligman, 2005, 103-132).
Acco ding o S eine (2003, 34), “emo ional educa ion consis s o h ee skills: he skill o
unde s and emo ions, he skill o exp ess hem in a ui ul way, and he skill o lis en o
e e ybody and o eel empa hy in ela ion o hei emo ions”. Sel -unde s anding implies, among
o he hings, “an ac i i y o eminiscence, which in ol es a con ac , h ough emembe ing, wi h
he pas expe ience; his e ospec i e cla i ica ion is s imula ed by he w i en and o al
exp ession” (Na anjo, 2004, 185).
F om my pe spec i e, emo ional educa ion should be pe aded by a c i ical and
emancipa o y app oach. In he las ew yea s, unde he in luence o ma ke and e iciency,
emo ional in elligence –and all wha has been de i ed om his ield in ela ion o educa ion-
uns he isk o u ning “… in ano he lub ican o co po a e human enginee ing used o help
companies o iden i y op imis d eame s and o a oid sad luna ics” (S eine , 2003, 13). I is
e ealing, in ela ion o his dange , he Goleman´s app oach (1999) in his book de o ed o
emo ional in elligence applied o business. Wi h an appa en ly neu al pe spec i e, Goleman
applies he concep o emo ional in elligence o he wo ld o companies, accep ing implici ly he
s a us quo. In his book, he ele an educa ional ques ion is his: “How can we educa e ou
child en o he coming labou ma ke ?” (Goleman, 1999, 426).
F om a pedagogical iewpoin , emo ional educa ion should be a he se ice o an open,
expe ien ial, democ a ic and cons uc i is model. This implies ha emo ional educa ion clash
wi h closed and neu al pedagogical p og ammes, c ea ed o be used ega dless o speci ic
s uden s, educa o s and con ex s.
Au obiog aphical lea ning is e y ui ul o wo king wi h he pas , elabo a ing con lic s
and c ises and he e o e as a use ul ins umen o emo ional and in e pe sonal educa ion. The
guided w i ing o educa ional au obiog aphy (on guided au obiog aphy, see Made , 1995), ha
we ha e been using wi h uni e si y s uden s, helps wo k in dep h a ound pe sonal and amily
7
wo ld o s uden s, in eg a ing and c ea ing skills in cogni i e, ope a i e, and a ec i e
dimensions (c . Ma ina, 2004, 59-62). Wo k wi h o al and w i en pe sonal na a i es imp o es
sel -knowledge as well as a mo e ma u e app oach o p oblems, di icul ies, c ises and
in e pe sonal ela ionships. Explo a ion on pas , amily expe ience, and o mal and in o mal
educa ional i ine a ies, is an excellen way o wo king iden i y. “The idea ha e lec ion on he
pe sonal pas , and h ough i accep ance o change, migh be essen ial o he main enance o sel -
iden i y h ough he ypical ans o ma ions o he cycle-li e…” (Thompson, 2000, 184).
2. FAMILY STORIES
In he las ew yea s, mo e a en ion has been paid o he amily s o ies by
an h opologis s, sociologis s and o al his o ians ( o a gene al o e iew, Mille , 2000).
Gene a ions and gene a ional di e ences, genealogical cha s, social and occupa ional mobili y,
diach onic analysis o di e gen ypes o amily, amily na a i es, and aging, a e some o he
subjec s deal wi h by hese schola s. Acco ding o Mille (2000, 10-18), he e a e h ee
app oaches in biog aphical esea ch on amily: ealis , neo-posi i is , and na a i e. This pape is
si ua ed wi hin he na a i e app oach, wi h a speci ic ocus on educa ional uses o amily
na a i es.
Au o/biog aphical wo k on amily s a s ou wi h he explo a ion o amily oo s. The
analysis o amily genealogy makes possible o si ua e he pe sonal s o y in a la ge con ex . This
analysis has wo main dimensions. One aspec is ela ed wi h social and cul u al con ex o he
di e en gene a ions ( he ´ a ge ` indi idual, his/he pa en s, his/he g andpa en s, and, i i is he
case, his/he child en). Diach onic and synch onic compa a ion is a basic elemen o his
biog aphical ac i i y. Also i is impo an he esea ch on di e ences o all kinds: gene a ional,
social, economic, poli ical, cul u al, e hnic, educa ional, axiologic and eligious. The second
aspec is linked o he adul ’s subjec i e na a i e ame. He e he o al and w i en s o ies o
adul s become impo an by e oca ing he li ed expe iences om a subjec i e, exis en ial,
con o e sial s ance. The union o bo h sides in he same educa ional me hodology explain, in
my opinion, he po en ial o au o/biog aphical app oach o encou aging he cons uc ion o a
his o ic, cul u al, social knowledge, ha i is a he same ime pe sonal, subjec i e and e en
healing (see Fo men i, 2002; Deme io, 2002).
Re lec ion abou he amily g oup o adul lea ne is de eloped om hese aspec s
(always as a open sc ip : a) home conside ed as physical space; a ibu ion o meaning o he
8
spaces and places o home; na a i es on daily objec s o home; he communica i e dynamic o
amily, cha ac e ized by speci ic in e pe sonal ela ions, ha i is possible s udy om an
ecological and sys emic pe spec i e; he emo ional wo ld o amilies and he a i udes owa d
eelings; d) he analysis o use o ime by he di e en membe s o he amily, as well i s
e olu ion du ing he li e span; he symbolic and spi i ual uni e se p e alen in he amily; )
leade ship, powe and managemen o con lic s; g) amily ans o ma ions and changes in
unc ion o social and cul u al e olu ion; h) pe spec i es on u u e and open ques ions o
wo king.
Family li e s o ies use o ali y and w i ing, indi idual and social ac i i y. They combine
subjec i i y and objec i i y, s o y and in e p e a ion, p oduc ion o sociocul u al knowledge and
de elopmen o sel -knowledge, esea ch on exis ing “ eali y” and sea ch o change o pe sonal
and collec i e dimensions. F om my iew au o/biog aphical lea ning is a good ins umen o
in eg a ing in li elong lea ning subjec i e expe ience and openness o a complex and unce ain
sociocul u al wo ld. Finally, li e his o ies combine esea ch and educa ion, helping educa o s can
become engaged ( esea che s) ac o s in a ou o a democ a ic and dialogic educa ional p ac ice.
I is di icul o hink abou sel o iden i y independen ly o amily s o y and se ing.
“Family s o ies seem o pe sis in impo ance e en when people hink o hemsel es
indi idually, wi hou ega d o hei amilial oles. The pa icula human chain we’ e pa o is
cen al o ou indi idual iden i y” (E. S one, ci . in Clandinin & Connelly, 1994, 420). Bu i is
ue ha indi idual and amily s o ies a e enmeshed in a complex ne wo k o la ge s o ies we
li e wi hin, such as s o ies ela ed o communi y, c eed, cul u e, class, na ion, poli ics, and
e hnici y (Kenyon & Randall, 1997, 85-89). Family s o y is a poin o in e sec ion be ween
pe sonal and social s o y. “The pe sonal expe ience o au obiog aphical memo y is o ganized
h ough socially sha ed esou ces. We d aw on cul u al meanings and language o shape ou
memo ies and o p o ide a amewo k o emembe ing” (Co ey, 1999, 127).
F om a ela ional and sys emic pe spec i e, Lau a Fo men i w i es ha “ amily memo y
may be unde s ood as a speci ic way o knowledge, almos imp in ed in ou bodies and
consciences, used o gi ing shape and meaning as well as o explaining and some imes
legi imize ou sel and social iden i y… Family s o ies co-c ea e eali y and iden i y o amily
sys em and o i s membe s” (Fo men i, 2002, 38-39). Collec i e memo ies a e he exp ession o
a common amily iden i y. Family is a ne wo k o social suppo and a se ing o
in e gene a ional encoun e whe e he adul s b oaden hei i al ho izons making a b idge owa d
9
pas ( he g andpa en s’ gene a ion) and u u e ( he child en’s gene a ion) (Palacios y Rod igo,
1998, 35). T adi ionally, amily s o ies ha e belonged o he women sphe e (Kenyon & Randall,
1997, 7), e en hough social change in he las ew decades is changing his adi ional ole o
women wi hin amily s uc u e.
Family memo y has h ee main unc ions, acco ding o A. Muxel (ci . in: Gaulejac, 1999;
151-153; Fo men i, 2002, 56-59; Cas aignos-Leblond, 2001, 170): (1) a unc ion o ansmission,
mobilizing he memo y o se ing he pe son’s s o y wi hin he genealogical and symbolic bonds
o amily lineage as a whole, wi hin which sel - ecogni ion is easible. This is he genealogical
egis e ela ed wi h ilia ion; (2) a unc ion o e i iscence, h ough he a ec i e, emo ional
elabo a ion o pas expe iences. This is he a ec i e egis e , shaped by he ne wo k o in ima e
ela ionships; and (3) a unc ion o e lec ion h ough he c i ical assessmen o pe sonal
de elopmen , linking pas , p esen and possibili ies o he u u e. This is he na a i e egis e ,
enabling o dis ance om social and a ec i e in luences.
The concep o gene a ion is c ucial o unde s anding he wo k wi h amily s o ies wi hin
a complex ame cha ac e ized by a s ong emphasis on s uc u al dimensions ela ed o socie y,
cul u e and his o y. Mille (2000, 29-30) dis inguishes wo meanings o gene a ion. Gene a ion is
made up o an indi idual and his / he siblings; in his sense, gene a ion is conce ned wi h
socializa ion, he ansmission o alues wi hin he amily and he inhe i ance o weal h. A
second meaning o gene a ion e e s o a block o people bo n du ing a speci ic span o yea s
ha a e conside ed dis inc om hose who p ecede o come a e hem (agg ega e, coho , and
coho gene a ion), li ing simila his o ical e en s o expe iences ha a ec he indi iduals bo n
du ing he same ime. Wo king wi h amily his o y cha s and cons uc ing ables om hese
amily his o y cha s, Mille (2000, 44-60) o e s a pa h o esea ching in sociology close o
Be aux’s app oach.
Acco ding o Cas aignos-Leblond (2001 169-186), he concep o gene a ion is ela ed o
(1) age o people, (2) ilia ion, and (3) epoch. Being membe o a gene a ion enables o he
subjec o es ablish a posi ion be ween p edecesso s and successo s. To belong o a gene a ion is
o become an ac o o his o y. Acco ding o Rind leisch (ci . in Mille , 2000, 30), “a coho
gene a ion is a g oup o pe sons bo n du ing a limi ed span o yea s who sha e a common and
dis inc social cha ac e shaped by hei sha ed expe iences h ough ime”.
Now I need o p esen some ideas and concep s de eloped by Vincen de Gaulejac, a
F ench psycho sociologis , wo king wi h a genealogical app oach. His wo k has had impo an