Intergenerational Relationships

Conversations on Practice and Research Across Cultures

Sally M Newman, Elizabeth Larkin, Dov Friedlander, Richard Goff

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781136430312
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Scienze sociali
• Subtopic: Gerontologia

Understand how multigenerational family relationships can benefit all generations!Intergenerational Relationships: Conversations on Practice and Research Across Cultures focuses on how family and community relationships are affected by pressing social problems. Respected international authorities reveal how cultures from Africa, Asia, the US, and Europe value connections among people of different ages and how these relationships are used to address crucial social problems. Insightful research bridges multiple disciplines to provide a unique perspective demonstrating the benefits of intergenerational relationships.Intergenerational Relationships: Conversations on Practice and Research Across Cultures presents a variety of approaches to social and intergenerational issues from international authors. The book discusses issues in two intergenerational categories: relationships in families and relationships in communities. The diverse range of content presents an enlightened view of the transformation of societies by modern technologies and illustrates the importance of maintaining a firm cultural identity through the relationships of different age groups. The view that the interdependence of multiple generations and society's common goals are inseparable is discussed in papers that explore rites of passage, language transfer, art and literature, community events, and research. Intergenerational Relationships: Conversations on Practice and Research Across Cultures explores:

• the devastation of intergenerational relationships in Nigeria because of AIDS
  
• intergenerational cultural transmission among the Akan of Ghana
  
• African views of elders in folklore and literature
  
• transitional changes in contemporary intergenerational relationships in India
  
• the construction of future theories of intergenerational relationships
  
• intergenerational initiatives in Sweden
  
• faith-based health and wellness programs in the US
  
• intergenerational relationships in US communities
  
• relationships between differing age groups among the Tumbuka of northern Malawi
  
• transformations over time in generational relationships in Africa
  
• intergenerational developments in England

Intergenerational Relationships: Conversations on Practice and Research Across Cultures is an important text for educators and students in intergenerational studies; researchers delving into intergenerational relationships, cultural transfer, and social change; international policymakers; and interdisciplinary scholars in developmental psychology, education, gerontology, sociology, and political science.

SECTION II: INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN COMMUNITIES

Intergenerational Initiatives in Sweden

Ann-Kristin Boström, PhD

Ann-Kristin Boström is affiliated with the Institute of International Education, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.

SUMMARY. It is pointed out in this report that the intergenerational perspective is conspicuous by its absence in Sweden, compared to several other countries where specific programmes exist for activities across generational boundaries. Activities across generational boundaries have also been a specific area where financial incentives for local projects have been provided in recent years through the government’s project, Freedom of Choice/Older People and Public Health. But despite these efforts, comprehensive and systematic measures to develop and strengthen contacts across generational boundaries have been few and far between in Sweden. Instead, official measures within various areas have targeted different groups, often defined in terms of their age and stage of life course. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]

KEYWORDS. Intergenerational initiatives, Sweden, government programs

INTRODUCTION

Recent demographic changes have sparked off discussions and investigations regarding the older sectors of the population in Sweden. Ronström (1998), writing about Sweden, is of the opinion that being a senior citizen is a natural consequence of having once been a younger citizen and thus research should concentrate on a more comprehensive perspective rather than specializing in established categories of research such as “children” and “the elderly.” The Swedish Government set up an official commission of enquiry known as Senior 2005 and in an interim report on their ongoing deliberations, this commission has coined the phrase “demolish the age stairs” (Sw. “riv ålderstrappan”) (SOU 2002:29). Changes in demography and intergenerational interaction are also considered in this report. In addition, there has been another investigation in Sweden, concerning health services and senior citizens (Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, 2001. Sw. Stiftelsen Stockholms Läns Äldrecentrum). The results of this enquiry indicate that the increasingly large proportion of senior citizens in the population will probably remain healthier for a longer period of time than was the case for earlier generations, which provides opportunities for the senior citizens of today to continue to participate in society to a greater extent than was possible in earlier times. In yet another investigation (Batljan and Lagergren, 2000), an estimate of the costs for health services was made, whereby it was predicted that these costs would not increase as rapidly as had previously been expected because the prior estimates were based on the assumption that such increased costs would begin at the onset of retirement at 65 years of age. Today, as people remain healthier for longer during the course of their lives, the costs for health services will thus not begin to increase substantially until senior citizens reach a very old age–above 80.

Activities across generational boundaries have also been a specific area where financial incentives for local projects have been provided in recent years through the government’s project, Freedom of Choice/Older People and Public Health (Sw. Äldreprojektet).

But despite these efforts, comprehensive and systematic measures to develop and strengthen contacts across generational boundaries have been few and far between in Sweden. Instead, official measures within various areas have targeted different groups, often defined in terms of their age and stage of life course.

THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

It is an old tradition that the section of the family responsible for the household are to provide care for children and the elderly (Odén, 1993). Most often this “family” consisted not only of relatives but also of servants and others who lived on the homestead. This tradition was formalized for a minority group in Swedish society, the free-holder farmers, through the introduction in the 18th century of a contract providing for a life annuity stipulated in an agreement for, or in conjunction with, the transfer of ownership of a homestead (Sw. undantagskontrakt). This legally binding contract stipulated, for those elderly people who had transferred ownership of their homestead to their children, or others, the provision of such items as corn, meat and kindling.

In Sweden, as in other countries, conflicts between generations have arisen when it has no longer been tenable to retain the established means for ensuring the maintenance of the living conditions for elderly people in the face of new economic, social or demographic pressures. There are a number of examples where legislation was introduced or strengthened during the 19th century, with regard to the protection of the elderly, as pressure increased on the rural system of annuity contracts as a result of successive years of misery, involving crop failure and starvation (Odén, 1985). At the same time, an increasing number of elderly were to be found in urban areas who were no longer able to work and whose children were not able to take them in, or support them, since they were most often both living in overcrowded conditions and earning only low incomes. The difficulties which were giving rise to conflicts of interest between the generations were eventually resolved through the introduction of the state old-age pension scheme and new approaches to organizing health services and care for the elderly.

Long-term sustainable means for ensuring the quality of life for the elderly, without placing unreasonable burdens on their children or other relatives, still remains one of the most important prerequisites for good relations between generations, both with regard to family life and society at large. In the light of demographic change, the issue as to the long- term sustainability of such solutions is becoming increasingly conten- sious. In international debates, the contract between generations has become a loaded question. With regard to pensions, it has been claimed that it is no longer obvious that solidarity across generation boundaries can, over time, be taken for granted. The unanimity that originally surrounded the idea that young adult generations are to bear responsibility for dependent children and elderly is not always considered to necessarily extend to that growing group of senior citizens who have left working life behind them in order to concentrate on realizing themselves as individuals.

The following view is stated in Senior 2005 (SOU 2002:29):

The challenges posed by an aging population imply that society requires continued measures for a sustainable development between generations over time. Mutuality across generation boundaries in particular must be strengthened and developed in those areas of importance for the economy and for the power structure in society. Through such mutuality, senior citizens will also be brought into an issue concerning participation in, and responsibility for, political decisions. Notice ought to be drawn to the possibility of promoting long-term meetings and cooperation between people from different generations in all sections of society. It is necessary to establish structures for this purpose, which should be coordinated to form a foundation for subsequent developments.

It is pointed out in this report that the intergenerational perspective is conspicuous by its absence in Sweden, compared to several other countries where specific programmes exist for activities across generational boundaries.

INTERGENERATIONAL INITIATIVES IN SWEDEN

Contacts across generational boundaries and solidarity between generations are not new issues in Swedish policy with regard to senior citizens. For example, solidarity between generations had been the theme for the European Year of Older People 1993 when this was held in Sweden. In their final report (SOU 1994:39), the Swedish Committee for the European Year of Older People stated that the reason behind the selection of this theme had been the claim that the divisions between generations had probably become wider in Sweden than perhaps in any other European country. The Committee went on to state that, in retrospect, research has indicated that this claim was to some extent erroneous. The increasing number of senior citizens in Sweden living alone does not necessarily imply increased abandonment and isolation but rather increased independence at an advanced age. The Committee writes that at different points in their life course, younger and older people are the same individuals and they must be a common interest in providing circumstances that are as comfortable as possible for people at different stages of life.

INTERGENERATIONAL INITIATIVES AND “FIERY SPIRITS”

Cultural life provides many opportunities for meetings across generational boundaries and a deeper understanding of age and belonging to a certain generation. However, the fact that cultural policies have so strongly targeted certain groups has meant that these opportunities have not always been grasped. Further, in Sweden there has been an almost complete lack of initiatives to provide intergenerational activities with a foundation, based on tried and tested methods and long-term effects in various areas. Intergenerational activities have generally taken the form of projects, initiated and lead by “fiery spirits” (Sw. “eldsjälarna”), and often running out of steam when the time, energy and engagement of such leading lights becomes depleted.

Senior 2005 considers that there are opportunities in cultural policies, being an area where competence and functioning structures already exist, for the long-term development of an intergenerational perspective and therefore that it is a matter of some urgency that appropriate methods and working arrangements be put in place. An initial step in this regard would be to draw greater attention to age as a cultural phenomenon and cultural construction in initiatives involving target groups that are determined by age. Other types of initiatives could include common activities for learning, creating and exchanges across generational boundaries.

SOCIAL ECONOMY

In terms of social economy, there is a need to draw attention to the importance of, and opportunities provided by, the consequences of an aging population. The value arising from, for example, voluntary work provides a considerable amount of social capital to society at large. Although older and middle-aged people at present have a very strong position in the activities of popular associations, their level of active membership in these is at the same time falling off. As a result, activities generating social capital appear to be increasingly concentrated to those people who are already participating in such associations or in voluntary work. The support from public funds for the running of these associations and cultural life in general, including access to various premises, is of considerable importance in making it possible to carry out their activities which promote participation and bring people together. In this regard, it is stated in Senior 2005 that it is considered to be an urgent matter that those various actors concerned in generating social capital be encouraged to find new means to broaden the participation of older people in popular associations and voluntary work. Actors in the public sector, including local authorities, should also be involved in promoting the development of social capital, not least in their own areas of responsibility such as schools and civil defence. Methods and forms of work ought thereby to be developed in order for activities to be more systematically intergenerational.

Exactly as in the case of cultural life, this kind of social capital provides many opportunities for meetings across generational boundaries. Here, too, the building up of a knowledge base and systematic measures are required to be better able to make use of these opportunities. One possible means of promoting activities across generational boundaries is to provide a “premium” for them through financial incentives to local popular associations. A small portion of such incentives could, for example, be earmarked for those popular associations with members drawn largely from younger people or older people in order for them, at some time during the financial year, to take action to break down the age barriers, perhaps in cooperation with some popular associations where most members are drawn from other age groups. However, such an approach does imply some risk with regard to this becoming a degree of unwanted detailed intervention in the affairs of the associations concerned.

Comprehensive measures to develop the local environment or the local community are being carried out by local community groups that have rapidly grown up in Sweden. Research on these local community groups indicates that social capital would appear to be of considerable importance in maintaining strong or reinvigorated local communities. This seems to be particularly true with regard to creating a local identity and local democracy. There were almost 3,900 such groups in May 1999, which may be compared to a total of 1,500 that were in existence seven years earlier. These groups carry out work with regard to everything from new business establishments and the c...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• About the Editors
• Preface
• Introduction
• Section 1: Intergenerational Relationships in Families
• Section II: Intergenerational Relationships in Communities
• Section III: Concluding Discussion
• Index