Unmasking the dynamics of intergenerational learning: an ethnographic study of two rural communities in Malawi

This paper explores the form of intergenerational learning taking place in rural communities in Malawi within the context of changing family structures. It is based on an ethnographic study conducted in Chipanga and Ndemanga rural communities in Malawi. The study explored the kind of intergenerational learning practices in which community members were engaged in their sources of livelihoods. Through participant observation, the researchers examined how and what knowledge and skills required in livelihood activities were passed on intergenerationally. The findings show that despite the emergence of new intergenerational relations, old forms remain key in the transfer of knowledge and skills needed in sources of livelihoods in some rural communities in Malawi. The paper argues that contextualising intergenerational learning can provide a fresh way to understand the confluence of place, time and culture.