Intergenerational Experience Research Articles

The Sinophone as an Uneven Experience of Time and Place: Translocal Media Consumption in Chinese-Speaking Malaysia

Abstract Based on interviews and ethnographic engagement with Malaysian consumers of post-1990s Chinese-language popular media products (television, film, and music), this article argues that overseas Chinese identity formation may be as much a translocal as a transnational phenomenon. Specifically, it demonstrates how Chinese-speaking Malaysia has been unevenly affected by Sinophone media flows across generations and regions, resulting in divergent cultural practices and aspirations, and it highlights intraethnic complexities that are determined by both temporal and spatial contexts. First, it examines Chinese Malaysians’ consumption of Chinese-language media as an intergenerational experience, vis-à-vis the general shift from the popularity of Hong Kong media before 2000, toward media from the People’s Republic of China in the present. Second, by highlighting the unique position of Johor, the Malaysian state bordering Singapore, in the Sinophone media circuit, the article demonstrates how in some cases geographic proximities may be more significant than national boundaries or policies in regulating cultural traffic. Finally, in the age of global China, this article highlights how interviewees’ present consumption of non-PRC Chinese-language media exemplifies a Sinophone logic of cultural and affective mobilities that resists the homogenization of PRC media in Southeast Asia. As an attempt to engage theorizations of translocality and transnationality in productive tension with each other, the article concludes by arguing for the significance of Malaysia in highlighting Sinophone cultures as uneven experiences of time and space.

Enhancing active aging through IRAGE: Mitigating social isolation with intergenerational gaming

This paper presents the outcomes of a pioneering study that explores the potential of remote intergenerational communication to combat social isolation among children and older adults, especially under constraints posed by pandemics such as COVID-19. Acknowledging the limited mobility of many older adults, this research aims to provide insights into how digital platforms can facilitate meaningful exchanges between generations. Utilizing a mixed methodology approach, the study first conducted a user interaction analysis to outline guidelines for participant engagement with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based tool called IRAGE (Intergenerational Remote Access to Gaming Experiences) designed specifically for this purpose. Following the development of the ICT tool, three sessions of the remote intergenerational experience were held, during which participants' interactions were recorded and subsequently analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Key findings from the study reveal that remote intergenerational communication can significantly mitigate feelings of isolation among older adults, contributing to their mental health and emotional well-being. Moreover, the study highlights the effectiveness of the web-based platform in facilitating these interactions, with older adults and children finding the user interface intuitive and the overall experience engaging. These outcomes underscore the importance of leveraging technology to maintain social connections during challenging times and offer valuable guidelines for developing ICT tools that cater to the needs of diverse user groups. By demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of remote intergenerational communication, this research contributes to the broader discourse on active aging and the role of digital technologies in promoting social inclusion and emotional health.

Revisiting young masculinities through a sound art installation: What really counts?

What Really Counts? was a sound art installation created in 2019 through a collaboration between a sociologist and a multidisciplinary artist, working with in-depth interviews with young men recorded as part of a British feminist social research project in 1990, exploring sexualities and the threat of HIV/AIDS. In this article, we describe the evolution and staging of the sound art installation project, situating it within interdisciplinary literatures on the use of sociological archives and reanimation of analogue media in a digital age. Working within a fractured tradition of curated sociology, we consider the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration for refreshing sociological analytic practice, revealing the unrealised potential of archived data sets and utilising temporal displacement as a generative analytic strategy for feeling history. We are working with a 30-year time span characterised by a stretching of intergenerational experience in relation to expectations for and mediation of sex/gender. The project attempts to realise the potential for an experimental sociological practice through the staging of open-ended past–present encounters.

THE VALUE OF INTERNSHIPS IN CREATING AN AGE-SAVVY WORKFORCE

Abstract As the 65+ population continues to grow, so too does the need for an age-savvy workforce. There is not a field or profession that will not intersect in some way with older adults (Karasik, Donorfio, & Greenberg, 2023). Current work shortages and forecasts, however, raise considerable concern for a sustainable and adequately prepared workforce. With regard to preparation, gerontological field placements, internships, and practicums are becoming increasingly instrumental to workforce development. Both the Gerontology Competencies for Undergraduate and Graduate Education (2020) and AGHE’s Gerontology and Geriatric Curricular Standards and Guidelines (2021) strongly recommend internship, practicum, and/or field work experiences for students at all levels. Fostering a successful intergenerational experience, however, can be challenging. In this presentation, key components, core elements, necessary steps, best practices and logistical considerations will be discussed. For example, who are the key players and what are their roles in such experiences? What needs to happen at the programmatic and curricular levels? In addition to exploring the various facets of gerontological field placements, attention will be given to utilizing AGHE’s Standards and Guidelines and Gerontology Competencies to help identify several “interactional competencies” that relate to internships, practicums, and field experiences. This session also serves as an introduction to the range of perspectives (student, faculty, community agency) that follow.

Sharing Maternal Fantasies

Adult characters in children’s literature often remain in the “blind space”, Vanessa Joosen observes (Adulthood). Whereas this is true for a lot of children’s books, there are also picturebooks that focus on mothers, often designed as tributes to motherhood. Within this array of books on mothers, however, some offer a more nuanced portrayal of motherhood than others. Samtidigt i min låtsasvärld (Meanwhile in My Imaginary World, 2018) by Lisa Bjärbo and Emma AdBåge shares a mother’s imagination with the readers. The mother’s inner world is connected to shared pleasures, which are easily considered to be “childlike”. By using a mother’s perspective in a picturebook intended for children and adults Bjärbo and AdBåge create an intergenerational experience. Building on concepts and insights from sociology, age studies and children’s literature studies and the textual and visual analysis of Samtidigt i min låtsasvärld, I reflect on the way picturebooks have the affordances to create an intergenerational understanding of daily situations and, by doing so, could contribute to breaking the good mom myth.

“You’re a woman now”

Abstract This paper analyses menarche episodes from TV series using the discourse-historical approach to compare how menarche has been depicted on TV during different decades and takes a closer look into inter-generational experience of menarche. The analysis focuses on membership categorization analysis of the scenes and dialogues involving menarche. After analyzing several decades of menstrual discourse, it is possible to conclude that TV discourse has changed from depicting menarche as a shameful taboo to a powerful visual storyline statement. However, the menarche scenarios did not change dramatically and continue to rely heavily on a mother-daughter bonding plot and highlight childbearing as the main and sometimes the only positive aspect of menstruation. The continuous use of menstruational euphemisms is still predominating the TV discourse.

Providing the Context for the Debate on the “Human” Imagined in the Drafting of the ANC’S Constitutional Guidelines in Lusaka, 1985–89

Abstract This article attempts to provide an historical context for current debates on South Africa’s 1996 constitution. It argues that the template for the new Constitution was forged by the anc in Lusaka, Zambia between 1985 and 1989, well before the ‘unbannings’ of February 1990 which are generally assumed to have been the starting point of the constitution-making process. The author outlines how the organisation and its allies wove constitutionalism in as one of the distinct threads of an enormously complex, multifaceted and sometimes contradictory process of struggle and constitutional planning that finally pushed the regime into a corner and led to the unbannings of 1990. Besides re-periodising the constitution-making narrative, the article stresses the African ‘essence’ of this struggle and the importance of African agency and ideas in forging the constitutional foundations for the future. Multiple levels of intergenerational experience, thinking and nuance are not catered for in often sloganised debates about the Constitution’s origins. This will require scholars interested in the decolonial project to self-interrogate sometimes mechanistic assumptions about the “inherited” Western underpinnings of the Constitution, it concludes.

Contribuições do projeto universitário intergeracional em tempos de pandemia. Uma inovação educacional

The COVID-19 situation naturalized the emergence of new teaching practices, and the use of educational technologies, in a context of transformation of the participation of seniors. The objective of the work consists in the evaluation of an intergenerational experience that occurred in the pandemic through the use of new technologies. An exploratory descriptive study was carried out using a questionnaire as an instrument, created ad hoc, with open and closed questions, with the aim of evaluating, through the opinion of 108 participants, a virtual intergenerational experience was evaluated between students of the social education degree and older people from social centers, to find out their needs, and offer a resource incorporated from the classroom. This is not just a theoretical difference. This situation is having repercussions on policies, but also on the way of attending to the educational and cultural needs of the elderly, which are clearly being diminished due to the coronavirus.

The Roots of Populism: Neoliberalism and Working-Class Lives

The Roots of Populism: Neoliberalism and Working-Class Lives

Unusual suspects for Age-Friendly University (AFU) intergenerational classroom exchange: A classroom case study in forensic science

ABSTRACT Intergenerational classroom activities have been used to enhance age inclusivity in higher education in the traditional aging curriculum. As ageism continues to be prevalent, there is a need to extend intergenerational contact across the curriculum. Moreover, intergenerational exchange can be an asset to content learning in diverse classrooms. As part of the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative that emphasizes the value of intergenerational teaching and learning, students and older adults were brought together in the present classroom case study in a forensic science course. The older adults residing in the institution’s affiliated university-based retirement community (UBRC) developed a mock crime scene scenario for students to solve and engaged with students as they analyzed evidence. Students were surveyed regarding their perceived learning gains and reactions to the intergenerational activity. Students’ responses indicated that the intergenerational experience had both a positive impact on content learning and the perceived value of intergenerational exchange to enhance learning in non-aging focused courses.

Extending the Together, We Inspire Smart Eating Curriculum to Intergenerational Nutrition Education: A Pilot Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made accessing nutritious foods difficult for older adults and children living in low-income households. The evidence-based preschool nutrition education curriculum Together, We Inspire Smart Eating (WISE) can be used to encourage children to try healthy foods. Written as a single generation curriculum, inviting older adult community members to WISE programming for an intergenerational experience may provide further supports and mutual benefits as participants cooperate towards a common goal. While creators have evaluated implementation of WISE, research has yet to explore factors that influence WISE adoption within an intergenerational setting. We conducted a pilot study using the implementation evaluation framework to explore WISE implementation within single generation and intergenerational settings by measuring five implementation outcomes (fidelity, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and sustainability) through three methods: (1) direct assessment of program fidelity via video coding; (2) indirect assessment of stakeholders’ perceptions of WISE implementation, and (3) a directed qualitative content analysis on annual interview data. Fidelity scores were comparable between the two settings and stakeholder ratings of appropriateness, acceptability, and feasibility of WISE were high. Qualitative data revealed that aspects of WISE are less appropriate for older participants and reiterated known logistical barriers of intergenerational programming that may challenge program sustainability.

Generation 2 Generation: OT Students’ Experience with Well Older Adults in a CCRC

As older adults move out of their homes and into continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), literature describes the phenomenon of “relocation stress system” wherein many have difficulty transitioning to their new environment. To help students understand and appreciate working with older adults in this environment, an intergenerational project and fieldwork experience was developed between third year occupational therapy doctoral students and residents living in a CCRC. Students met with their clients during the semester and presented findings in class. This experience emphasized concepts of therapeutic use of self-wellness, clinical reasoning, and delivering client-centered, occupation-based care.

An intergenerational ecosystem

In this third article on intergenerational pedagogy, let's give more consideration to the idea of intentional practice. This means thinking specifically about the purpose of a particular intergenerational activity, opportunity or experience and having a clear sense of what outcomes you intend to achieve for those who take part.

Providing Intergenerational Dialogue in Contemporary China: Traditionalism vs Westernisation

Today, providing intergenerational dialogue is one of the most relevant ones. On the one hand, it relates to objective reasons — the acceleration of the social development pace and transformation of the communication paradigm has led to the emergence of a “digital divide” between generations, which affects the quality of intergenerational spiritual and intellectual experience transmission. On the other hand, the socio-cultural transformation actively taking place in the West has led to the formation of new values and beliefs, the attitude towards which among representatives of different generations is not the same. The emerging value gap in the absence of emotional and psychological connection between parents and children further exacerbates the problem of intergenerational communication and social cohesion. As a result, parents cease to be an authority, custodian of experience and knowledge for their children, and the resulting vacuum is filled by bloggers, “tiktokers”, and celebrities. In individualistic cultures such as the United States, this problem is vital in analysing intergenerational relationships. In collectivist cultures, despite the preservation of family institutions in a child’s life, the influence of the Internet is doing its job, and young people are gradually joining the new-fangled value of Western liberal standards. And the critical question is to what extent, given the inevitable value transformation, the Chinese society, with its centuries-old traditions, manages to ensure intergenerational dialogue.

The Re-membering of Literary Bodies in the Zimbabwean Classroom

This article explores ways in which literary and physical bodies are interlinked in a high-school English literature classroom in Zimbabwe. In this study, twenty-four Grade 12 learners, who are conceptualised as living human bodies closely connected through intergenerational memory, responded to an indigenous literary body, the set novel The Uncertainty of Hope (Harare: Weaver Press, 2006) by Valerie Tagwira. The learners’ responses were in the form of poems and symbolic poem-drawings. Participants created their own literary bodies, which reflect and re-member their individual and intergenerational experiences of the set text and of literature in general. Importantly, these multimodal literary bodies of learner “re-memberings” represent the interplay among embodied intergenerational experience, the set text as a literary body, and the discussion of the findings as a body of interpretive work.

Advantages and disadvantages of distance learning

Introduction. E-learning has been known and used in many countries for a long time.It is becoming more and more popular. It is a way of teaching remotely, using the latestinformation technology. It can be used in any age group, starting with pre-school teaching.In the era of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, remote learning has been mandatory due to theneed to continue the teaching process whilst at the same time reducing the risk of spreading the virus. This has revealed many advantages, but also the disadvantages of this type of teaching.Aim & methods. The aim of the work is to change the advantages and disadvantagesof remote teaching as one of the modern forms of education. The work attempts to showthe problems related to the risks and diffi culties associated with distance learning and theadvantages of the development of information technology. We reviewed recent literatureon e- learning in Poland. We supplemented it with our own observations.Results & Conclusions. Reviewed empirical studies from Poland suggest that the mainadvantages of distance learning are professional development of teachers, intergenerational experience exchange, time saving, the possibility of learning at a pace adapted tothe student, access to a large quantity of teaching materials as well as the development andexpansion of IT infrastructure. The main disadvantages are lack of peer interactions, theneed to spend a lot of time in front of the computer, lack of physical activity, diffi culties inindependent assimilation of new material, lack of direct contact with the teacher, lack ofcomputer equipment and inadequate housing conditions, lower didactic effects, social andeconomic exclusion.E-Learning is an excellent form of learning, due to its many advantages such as timesavings and access to a wide range of materials, but requires a lot of commitment from thelecturers to encourage students to expand their knowledge and on the part of students selfcontrol and motivation.

Historical Memory for Education: A Combined Intergenerational Educational Experience

Bridging generations can be a powerful and meaningful two-way educational process. Intergenerational learning experiences have different positive impacts and outcomes in both the young and senior learners, through the exchange of competencies and knowledge. They are also an educational experience that enables the realisation of different paradigms of values, which nurture the broadening of learners’ mindset. Intergenerational learning configures itself as a relevant tool for historical education, as young students benefit from the seniors’ lifetime experience of historical events and contexts, which may be explained and testified first-hand with a positive spillover to young children’s learning process. This paper aims to share an intergeneration learning experience that brought an English as Additional Language class from middle school students together with seniors aged 65 to 94 years old, over the period of eight weekly sessions in a Portuguese international school context, under the principle objective of developing English language knowledge and skills in the elder participants and, contrariwise, to foster children’s perception on the value of life experience to their own world view, historical knowledge, memory and socialisation. Each session was assessed by the children, seniors, teacher-facilitator and observer, from which data was gathered via pre, post and weekly questionnaires which asserted a mutual meaningful learning impact on both younger and older participants.

Cumulative Precarity: Millennial Experience and Multigenerational Cohabitation in Hackney, London

AbstractThis article interrogates and expands understandings of millennial economic insecurity by focusing on the experiences of three people living in socially rented accommodation with their families of origin in Hackney, London. Taking into account the legacies of state violence that racialise Britain’s political economy, I argue that millennial precarity requires theorisation across multiple temporalities in order to account for cumulative, intergenerational experience as well as intergenerational dissonance. This article focuses on the affective work required to mediate cumulative precarity with familial relationships, with an emphasis on the ways that participants arduously—yet artfully—weave between multiple temporal scales of experience within concentrated shared space in order to care for and communicate with their family members. Through synthesising geographical scholarship on generational experience, everyday experiences of policy and the spaces of precarious labour, this paper contributes to expanding economic geography’s engagement with ongoing histories of coloniality in the UK.

A RE-AIM Analysis of an Intergenerational Dementia Education Program

Objectives: Children often have a lack of dementia understanding and poor attitudes toward people with dementia. Intergenerational programs are increasingly common, but the effects on knowledge and attitudes related to dementia are mixed, especially in the long-term (6 months). Using a RE-AIM framework, we quantitatively evaluated the effects of an educational dementia program (with and without an intergenerational program) on dementia attitudes in the short and long-term, and qualitatively, which elements of the program facilitated this change.Methods: Eighty-one children (9.63 ± 0.52 years, 35 males) from three classes participated in an 8-week dementia education program and 52 also interacted with older adults through an intergenerational experience. Program reach was measured as the percentage of children who participated in the study. The Kids Insight into Dementia Survey (KIDS) was implemented to measure dementia knowledge and attitudes: efficacy and maintenance. Qualitative interviews with all participant groups informed both adoption and implementation. Cost-benefit analysis was used as a secondary outcome measure for efficacy.Results: The program demonstrated strong levels of impact reaching 93% of school children across the three included classes. Efficacy was demonstrated by a positive change in children's dementia knowledge and attitudes immediately post program, which remained increased (as compared to baseline) 6- months post intervention; there were no differences between groups (those who interacted with older adults and those who did not). Interviews identified positive changes in children's empathy and improved community awareness. Barriers to adoption included the project scope, time constraints incurred by school terms and the management of children-to-adult ratios.Conclusions: These findings provide the first evidence that school-based dementia education improves knowledge of and attitudes toward people with dementia long-term. We demonstrated programs such as this can be successful in both primary school and wider community settings, with support from school and community partners key to the success.

Compuabuelitos: aprendizajes en una experiencia intergeneracional

El objetivo del proyecto Compuabuelitos fue analizar una experiencia intergeneracional en la que adolescentes impartieron un curso a adultos mayores en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación a fin de que los alumnos y alumnas participantes tradujeran en su instrucción los principios pedagógicos del sistema Pierre Faure, que destaca el respeto a la persona y a su ritmo. La investigación, de corte cualitativo, usó el método interpretativo básico, así como la entrevista semiestructurada como técnica. Los hallazgos se centran en tres tipos de aprendizajes: sobre las características de la tercera edad; las formas de relacionarse con los adultos mayores; y aquellos obtenidos al desempeñar un rol habitualmente desconocido: el de maestro. El análisis de los datos se realizó bajo la lupa del interaccionismo simbólico para reportar el significado que tuvo para los alumnos participar en esta experiencia, descrita como agradable y enriquecedora para los participantes.