The possibilities and limitation of transcultural biography work: Lithuanian case

Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania

Abstract

Lithuania, as well as other contemporary societies, is undergoing the times full of new technological, political, economic, social and scientific changes. In the changing society, adult education has helps a person to develop his and her cultural interests, creative powers, skills and acquire theoretical knowledge necessary for person's professional activity, enables a person to upgrade his or her current qualification and helps to become an active citizen of a democratic society (Zemaitaityte, 2007). This paper seeks to discuss Trancultural Biography Work (TBW) as an adult educative approach that is mainly oriented on one's resources and potentials. But it also may help to overcome hindering patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. Through Biography Work, people explore how they handled difficult situations in one's life: How did the person manage similar situations in the past? How did other people or other members of person family with whom he/she shared memory manage it? It supports to gain self-awareness as well as courage and the desire to realize one's potentials. “Realize. Transcultural Biography Work for Adult Education” international project, from 2010 to 2012, was dedicated to apply Transcultural Biography Work (TBW) in different counties and contexts with different participants with various needs and backgrounds, explore and implement new techniques of Transcultural Biography Work, assess the effectiveness of TBW techniques, and elaborate further on Transcultural Biography Work approach.