Intergenerational Involvement Research Articles

HOLISTIC RECONDITIONING FOR THE ELDERLY: EMBRACING INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES

The global aging population presents economic, social, and cultural challenges, accentuated by the rise of age-related chronic conditions. Physical activity emerges as a crucial component for elderly well-being, countering sedentary lifestyles and comorbidities. Motivation, habit formation, and cultural integration are key to sustaining exercise behavior. Practices like yoga, tai chi, and qigong, deeply rooted in tradition, offer holistic benefits for the elderly. Research underscores their positive impact on physical and mental health, particularly in improving balance and reducing falls. However, awareness of their advantages needs amplification. To foster adoption and sustainability, targeted awareness campaigns, community programs, healthcare integration, intergenerational involvement, and accessibility enhancements are proposed. By combining these strategies, therapeutic exercises can be seamlessly integrated into elderly lifestyles, promoting long-term health and well-being.

Intergenerational transmission of moral decision‐making inclinations

AbstractObjectiveThis study investigated the intergenerational transmission of utilitarian and deontological inclinations, examining whether these pass from parents to adult children and exploring the potential moderating effects of parenting style and intergenerational involvement in this process.BackgroundFamily factors, including religious norms and work values, influence moral development, but the intergenerational transmission of two moral inclinations—utilitarianism (emphasizing consequences, e.g., sacrificing one person to save five) and deontology (emphasizing intrinsic norms, e.g., refraining from intentionally harming the innocent)—remains underexplored.MethodWe measured these inclinations in 171 parent–adult child pairs using a moral decision thought experiment and questionnaires on parenting style and intergenerational involvement.ResultsPositive correlations emerged between parents and adult children for both inclinations. “Emotional warmth” in parenting style and intergenerational involvement showed significant negative moderating effects on the transmission of utilitarianism between generations.ConclusionThis study provides empirical evidence of intergenerational transmission of moral inclinations. Higher emotional warmth and increased intergenerational involvement inhibit the transmission of utilitarian inclinations, leading to reduced prioritization of better consequences.ImplicationsEnhanced emotional warmth and greater intergenerational involvement by parents can deter the transmission of utilitarian inclinations among adult children, prioritizing adherence to intrinsic norms over intentional harm for greater benefits.

Intergenerational involvement in out-of-home care and death by suicide in Sweden: A population-based cohort study

Background: Individuals involved in out-of-home care are at higher risk of death by suicide. We aimed to determine whether parents with two generations of involvement in out-of-home care (themselves as children, and their own children) are at increased risk of death by suicide than parents with no involvement or parents with one generation of involvement in out-of-home care.Method: This population-based cohort study included all individuals born in Sweden between 1973 and 1980 who had at least one child between 1990 and 2012 (n = 487,948). Women (n = 259,275) and men (n = 228,673) were examined separately.Results: When compared with mothers with no involvement in out-of-home care, mothers with two generations of involvement were at more than five times greater risk of death by suicide (aHR = 5.52; 95% CI 2.91–10.46); mothers with one generation of involvement were also at significantly higher risk of death by suicide (mothers were in care as children: aHR = 2.35; 95% CI 1.27–4.35; child was placed in care: aHR = 3.23; 95% CI 1.79–5.83). Involvement in out-of-home care (in either generation) did not affect risk of death by suicide for fathers.Limitations: Reason for placement in out-of-home care is not known; these reasons could also be associated with risk of death by suicideConclusion: Mothers with involvement in out-of-home care, either as children or when their child was placed in care, are at significantly higher risk of death by suicide. Mental health services should be provided to individuals involved in out-of-home care.

Factors that support Indigenous involvement in multi-actor environmental stewardship

Regional, multi-actor environmental collaborations bring together diverse parties to achieve environmental protection and stewardship outcomes. Involving a range of participants helps involve alternative forms of knowledge, expertise, and perspectives; it may also present greater challenges in reaching agreements, particularly when both Indigenous and non-Indigenous parties are involved. The authors conduct a cross-case study of 39 regional partnerships involving Indigenous nations from the Great Lakes basin of North America with the aim of determining the factors that enable Indigenous partners to remain engaged in multi-actor collaborations. Six characteristics influenced Indigenous nations’ willingness to remain engaged: respect for Indigenous knowledges, control of knowledge mobilization, intergenerational involvement, self-determination, continuous cross-cultural education, and early involvement. Being attentive of these factors can help partnerships achieve their environmental goals by keeping important partners at the table.

Expanding the scope of inquiry: exploring accounts of childhood and family life among sex workers in London, Ontario

This article presents findings from a qualitative research project that sought to explore the organization of sex work and women's experiences in the trade in a medium-size Canadian city. Drawing upon 14 semi-structured life-history interviews with women between 24 and 60 years of age who have taken part in sex work, primarily street-based, this discussion examines the women's accounts of childhood and early family experiences. Findings related to childhood highlight the role of the women's mothers, fathers, and a range of non-normative conditions in shaping their social experience of childhood. Our participants' accounts of family dynamics feature discussions of loving familial relations, inter-generational involvement in the sex trade, and feelings of exclusion. These findings support existing studies on childhood and family experiences among street-based sex workers and contribute new data to this relatively under-developed area of study within the sex work literature. One of the most unique insights is that although the women's accounts reveal difficult experiences across the spheres of socialization related to childhood and family, they did not identify them as the root cause of their sex trade participation. We discuss the practical significance of this finding for health care and social service professionals (i.e., case worker, support staff, community clinic workers), who work with women in the sex trade but may be uncertain how to broach and/or navigate the sensitive issues of childhood and family in their work with these marginalized groups of women.

Intergenerational Programs in One German City: The Specific Views of Middle-Aged Participants

ABSTRACT Our research interest was to survey the diversity of intergenerational projects in a large East German city and to analyze the motivations of the project participants. When inquiring into the potential of the middle generation one finds that this generation today is far better endowed than previous generations. On the other hand, the middle-aged population in the city studied is frequently exposed to unemployment and its social consequences, making this generation an important target group for project initiators. Our main hypothesis has been confirmed: processes relating to education and recognition play an important role in intergenerational project work. In light of the circumstances surrounding their current lives, the participants of the middle generation strive toward actively participating in social life and experiencing a sense of being needed. Their main interest is establishing new acquaintances and opportunities for communication. Against the background of demographic change the resources of the middle generation may need to be tapped for intergenerational involvement outside of family structures. This allows mitigation of special problems and support for needs of this generation.

Let's Do Something Together

This study examined the environment and activities that effectively promote individual involvement and cross-age interactions in a joint day care setting serving seniors and children from infancy through kindergarten. It evaluated the impact of staff training on improving program quality, and examined the relationship between the components of quality and participant engagement. Two instruments were developed to assess program and participant characteristics, respectively, the Intergenerational Program Quality Assessment and the Intergenerational Involvement and Interaction Inventory. Using a pre-post design, data were collected on 25 intergenerational activities with 108 children and 68 seniors before training, and 25 sessions with 111 children and 93 seniors after training. Five components were found to characterize effective programs and promote participant engagement: a designated intergenerational space that is shared, accessible, and stocked with materials inviting to both age groups; a consistent daily schedule that allows for formal as well as informal cross-age interactions; openended activities that emphasize process over product and provide opportunities for planning and reflection; the explicit facilitation of cross-age interactions by caregivers; and objective observational assessment to plan activities and share information with families.

In Service to Children and Youth: Foreword to the Special Issue

In Service to Children and Youth:Foreword to the Special Issue Irvin D. Reid I am pleased to introduce this special issue of the Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, which brings together research and reflections on urban children's health, development, and education presented at Wayne State University's first national biennial conference on children, "Promoting the Well-Being of Children and Youth in Urban America." The conference, held on our campus in April 2004, brought together researchers, policy makers, representatives of funding organizations, and providers of direct services to children in urban environments. Together they explored issues affecting children's well-being, especially in metropolitan Detroit, and began to set an agenda for examining the needs of children in our cities and identifying critical areas for research and study. Among the topics discussed were prevention and risk reduction, violence/abuse and trauma, literacy and school readiness, obesity and health, and intergenerational involvement in children's development. The public perception is largely that universities are places to which people—primarily young people—go to receive an education. And Wayne State University takes pride in serving a diverse cross section of the Detroit metropolitan area's substantial population with undergraduate, graduate, certificate, and professional degrees. More and more, however, universities are equally known by the information and expertise that flow outward from the campus into the community through cultural enrichment, through partnerships with local governments and businesses, and through research that has immediate application to the needs of people in their everyday lives. [End Page 171] Thus our reason for existing is more than education, and more than research, although both are of great significance to who we are and what we accomplish for those who depend on us. A great university also has a service mission, a vocation to reach beyond our campus in ways that improve the general quality of life. This is especially true for urban universities, because without exception our cities need the expertise, energy, and guidance we can provide. At Wayne State University, engagement with the Detroit metropolitan area is fundamental to our mission; we regard this active involvement as simple good citizenship, and we welcome the opportunity to contribute as we can. A large, vigorous urban institution like Wayne State University contributes to its home city simply by its presence—through jobs, research dollars, the economic impact of its employees and students, and by educating a skilled workforce. Although honorable and noteworthy, these factors only partly fulfill a great university's responsibility to be an important, and indeed irreplaceable, part of its surroundings. Higher education is most effective and influential when it is intimately involved with the society it serves. We are not only in the city; we are a part of it. We seek to advance it economically and culturally for the benefit of its citizens, and we make its issues and problems our own. The university participates in the life of the city as a powerful and intelligent force for renewal and resolution. Public universities exist to serve everyone, but the urban public university, because of its location and social milieu, has a special responsibility to the underserved and neglected. This often means persons of low income, and it almost always means minorities. At Wayne State University we have a number of programs to help the fairly large at-risk population of students from our neighboring urban area, and we try always to enhance their effect on academic success and personal growth. We are primarily an educational institution whose intrinsic connection to this geographic area far transcends the classroom. We feel, and are moved by, a profound responsibility to use our expertise to serve vulnerable populations beyond our campus. Of all persons the urban university must serve, the most in need of our attention, and often the hardest to reach effectively, are children. But the importance of children to the future of the cities in which they live is almost beyond expression. What we are able to do—or not do—for them determines what the future of those cities will be. If we fail the children of our cities, our cities ultimately will fail, and urban universities will not be exempt from the consequences...

Intergenerational Interaction Between Institutionalised Older Persons and Biologically Unrelated University Students

ABSTRACT Most studies on older persons focus mainly on what the aged can no longer do and on the impact that this has on the community and specifically on their carers. In contrast to this, this research focused on the value of friendship between older persons living in a retirement home and students whom they did not know prior to their interaction in the project. Friendship, in this instance, is viewed as a multidimensional facet of social support. Participatory action research was used to describe the relationship between the students and the older persons, and the illustrative method, as a qualitative research method, was used to analyse the data, obtained from students' reports, observations and interviews. The results are used to propose guidelines for the transfer to other contexts of the intergenerational involvement of biologically unrelated students

Predictors of grandmother participation in a multigenerational study.

Results of a growing body of literature regarding multigenerational relationships indicate that grandparents directly and indirectly influence their grandchildren's development. However, multiple generations have been difficult to assemble for research purposes, with refusal rates ranging from 40 percent to over 80 percent. Despite difficulties in obtaining information from more than one generation of family members, data examining potential biases in the selection of participants have rarely been reported. The present study explored predictors of grandmother participation in a multigenerational study with 84 mothers, 84 infants, and 52 maternal grandmothers. Results indicated that grandmothers were less likely to participate in the study when grandchildren experienced preterm birth and when mothers reported less family of origin support. However, grandmothers who participated in the study reported high levels of intergenerational involvement and contact with daughters and grandchildren.

Infant/Toddler Feeding Practices of Adolescent Mothers: Ethnic Differences and Intergenerational Involvement

Approximately 500,000 teens become mothers every year, and 90% keep their babies. Problems are associated with adolescent parenting, including poor parenting skills and inappropriate infant/child feeding practices, which have developmental and health implications for the children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the range of infant/toddler feeding practices among 20 pairs of Anglo and Mexican‐American adolescent mothers and their mothers. Grandmothers were included to assess their involvement in child care. Teens often cited recommended practices but failed to follow through. Early weaning, cereal in the bottle, and providing high‐fat foods and sweets were common practices. Few understood the importance of modeling appropriate eating behavior. More Anglos had conflict with their mothers, whereas Mexican Americans had more cooperative relationships. As grandmothers were sources of dietary information, conflicts were common over this issue. Including grandmothers in nutrition education efforts may benefit adolescent mothers and their children.

Therapeutic Individual Activities

Activities can provide a beneficial experience for impaired elderly in a variety of health and social service settings. When coupled with basic knowledge and interdisciplinary effort, activities can be used as an effective therapeutic intervention. Activities which can be used as individual intervention can be organized into at least six categories: crafts, creative expression, personal discovery, environmental involvement, intergenerational involvement, community involvement. and self-directive activities.

The demise of community at high heaven

This ethnographic study will describe the rise and fall of the country's first attempt at intergenerational involvement within a campus based retirement setting. It will discuss those factors responsible for the initial limited success of the project and its ensuing failure. These include the lack of competent support staff, funding, security problems, and a change in the administrative agency. Policy statements regarding future projects of this kind are also considered.