This exciting book explores the exchange of societal support between generations. It also examines variations in contemporary practices and rationales in different regions and societies around the world. The book draws on theoretical perspectives and empirical analysis to discuss both newly emerging patterns of family reciprocity, as well as more established ones which are affected by changing opportunities and pressures in contemporary societies. It is highly international and comparative in nature, covering the US, Europe, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Thailand.
Intergenerational relationships in adulthood frequently undergo significant change due to the impact of societal factors. The editors of this volume have assembled impressive contributions from specialist in aging research and include chapters on changing demographics, intergenerational change in rural setting, cross-cultural issues, environmental factors, and longitudinal studies.
In Intergenerational Approaches in Aging: Implications for Education, Policy, and Practice, leading practitioners and academics from a variety of disciplines come together to discuss theoretical issues, current practice, and future directions for this rapidly developing field. The authors address key topics such as defining the intergenerational field, the effects of the segregation of groups by age on social function and organization in our communities, and designing, implementing, and assessing programs that create cross-generational connections. Exploring ways to provide services to different age groups while tapping the strengths and skills of each age group, Intergenerational Approaches in Aging examines the application of intergenerational approaches to important social issues as well as specific challenges faced by practitioners. It makes suggestions for integrating intergenerational studies into the higher education system and for challenging segregated services and funding programs. As the book shows, promoting cooperation between diverse segments of society also depends on: making intergenerational programming a permanent feature of public schools understanding and meeting the social, mental health, and medical needs of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren using observational research to study and evaluate intergenerational program effectiveness and the relationships among the people involved viewing differences among people as assets developing intergenerational program models providing children with a 'life-cycle’view of the world Intergenerational Approaches in Aging offers the personnel of state and local agencies on aging, nursing homes, senior centers, and geriatric homes practical advice, innovative ideas, and supportive materials for developing and implementing intergenerational activities and programs that can benefit all parties involved. Academics and school administrators will also benefit from this book as they learn concrete methods for integrating aging education into already existing curricula and building new conceptual frames of reference for a wide variety of social issues and historical topics.
This volume examines the importance of time and place, as applied to aging families. In the first section, chapters focus on the temporal dimension of intergenerational relations using frameworks from human development, sociology, social history, and social psychology. The second section focuses on the social ecology of intergenerational relations in terms of the national contexts within which families are embedded. The contributors demonstrate how the social, cultural, historical, and institutional forces that orient older and younger family members toward each other in both structured and adaptive ways.
"At last: a book that melds research on family ties in later life inclusively. Connidis' book is not simply a research compendium but a theoretical synthesis of value to both scholars and students. Connidis' clear writing style makes it an excellent choice for students... I recommend this book both to teachers and researchers in the areas of family and aging." -- JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY Presenting a broad examination of the issues surrounding family ties and aging, this advances textbook provides an integrated and thorough representation of current research in the field. Whereas book on families and aging have traditionally focused on ties to a spouse and to children and grandchildren, Connidis's coverage is more extensive and more reflective of contemporary society. She includes groups and relationships that have typically been neglected, such as single, divorced, and childless older people and their family relationships, as well as sibling relationships among the elderly, live-in partnerships not formalized by marriage, and the family ties forged by gays and lesbians over their life course. Family Ties and Aging weaves the vast range of information we now have about the many facets of family relationships and aging into a critical, comprehensive, and integrated whole.
The recent explosion in population ageing across the globe represents one of the most remarkable demographic changes in human history. Population ageing will profoundly affect families. Who will care for the growing numbers of tomorrows very old members of societies? Will it be state governments? The aged themselves? Their families? The purpose of this book is to examine consequences of global aging for families and intergenerational support, and for nations as they plan for the future.
The question of communication and understanding between different generations is emerging as a key issue for the twenty-first century. The advent of ageing populations may lead to increased conflict or solidarity in society, and provokes a profound ambivalence both in public and in the private sphere. In a new approach, Biggs and Lowenstein offer a critical examination of Generational Intelligence as one way of addressing these issues. How easy is it to put yourself in the shoes of someone of a different age group? What are the personal, interpersonal and social factors that affect our perceptions of the ‘age other’? What are the key issues facing families, workplaces and communities in an ageing society? This book sets out a way of thinking about interpersonal relations based on age, and the question of communication between people of different ages and generations. The book challenges existing orthodoxies for relations between adults of different ages and draws out steps that can be taken to increase understanding between generational groups. The authors outline a series of steps that can be taken to enhance Generational Intelligence, examine existing theories and social issues, and suggest new directions for sustainable relations between generational groups.
Intergenerational Relations - Contemporary Theories, Studies, and Policies, concentrates on actual discussions around various aspects of interactions that occur between people from different age groups and generations. The authors present studies related to four sets of challenges crucial for relationships between children, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. These challenges include social and cultural challenges, economic and technological challenges, environmental challenges, and political and legal challenges. The volume also addresses issues important for the global, national, regional, and local application and performance of intergenerational solutions, projects, and programs focused on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The collection includes chapters encompassing research and practical recommendations from various disciplines such as demography, economics, ethics, management, gerontology, public health, pedagogy, social work, political science, and sociology. This book is an asset to academic and professional communities interested in theories of intergenerational relationships as well as public services and age-related policies. Moreover, the volume is a useful resource to help students, practitioners, and people working in government, business, and nonprofit organizations build positive and harmonious interactions between generations.
