/p>>Interview to Mariano Sanchezprofessor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Granada -where he directs the Macrosad Chair of Intergenerational Studies- and international researcher associated with the Center for Health Aging at Penn State University (USA)
Mariano Sanchez will take part in the , which is held on the days September 27 and 28 in Jaen.
In the following interview he describes what is intergenerationality and why it is important for society, in addition to presenting some examples, both nationally and internationally, on how interaction between people of different ages benefits society as a whole.
What exactly does intergenerationality consist of and what effects does it have on society?
intergenerationality It is a term that refers to the relationship between different generations. What happens is that there are two ways of understanding such a relationship: one, without any awareness of the implied generational positions, and the other, realizing those positions and the differences and similarities between the generations. This last form is of much more interest to me.
Regarding the effects it causes, I would say that, above all, intergenerationality is a cause of society. In other words, for a society to exist, it needs, among other things, a connection between successive generations. Not surprisingly, our concept of family is based on the intergenerational solidarity: Adults take care of and raise our sons and daughters. Without that relationship, the partnership would become extinct.
What difficulties do the different generations find to integrate and interact?
Depending on what kind of generations we are talking about and whether we are thinking of a family or extra-family environment, the difficulties are different. Let’s give two examples. In a family in which a 20-year-old daughter is living abroad, the difficulties may be merely instrumental (for example, coordinating the times to interact, access to appropriate means of communication, etc.).
However, if we think of a 9-year-old child and an elderly person who is not a member of his family and who lives in a residential center for the elderly, the difficulties may be more structural (for example, the very impossibility of meeting or get in touch, or the lack of references and even common languages that allow interaction).
In general, I would say that in the family space there is usually a habit of interaction, but what happens outside the family is that many people have not even had the opportunity to acquire such a habit given the strong segregation by age and generation that surrounds us. .
What scientific evidence exists on the benefits of intergenerationality?
There is evidence resulting from the investigation, but it must be recognized that it is less than what we would like to have. For example, we know that good intergenerational contact improves the attitudes that younger generations have towards the elderlydecreases the negative stereotypes associated with age and also the feeling of some anxiety that some people feel about their own aging.
The latter is very relevant, because if an older person has a positive and non-stereotyped perception of their ageing, your life expectancy can be lengthened. We also know that young people who have participated in good intergenerational projects have increased their self-esteem and self-confidence and have learned new skills by being able to access the knowledge of more experienced people.
Where there are opportunities to maintain good intergenerational relationships, it is possible to create social capital, trust, mutual support, and increased connectionswhich allows for more cohesive, less fragmented communities and societies.
What measures should be taken from public institutions to encourage intergenerationality?
The first is clear: to promote opportunities so that whoever wishes can come into contact with people of other generations. But these must be well designed and executed; it’s not worth anything. Relationships between generations, like all relationships, can lead to conflict, misunderstanding and even open confrontation.
The second measure would be to put on the table the need to tackling discrimination based on age and to the negative intergenerational perceptions that surround us. In 2018, in Spain there are still 38% of people aged 65 or over who believe that young people are not interested in older people, who are treated with indifference. In 2008 that percentage was 37%. It seems that in a decade we have not made much progress in improving those perceptions.
The University of Granada has created, together with Macrosad, a pioneering Chair in Spain on Intergenerational Studies. How did this Chair come about and what does it consist of?
This initiative stems from the decision to bet, in its strategic plan, on the intergenerationality as a transversal dimension. When we found out about this original commitment at the University of Granada, we contacted this cooperative, we got down to work to find a way to collaborate and the Chair of Intergenerational Studies has been the result.
It consists of a platform for permanent knowledge transfer between Intergenerational Studies, on the one hand, and the practice of intergenerationality, on the other, to contribute to socioeconomic progress and the well-being of people and communities. To do this, we will investigate, train, disseminate knowledge and try to launch initiatives that enable the growth of intergenerational relationships in Andalusia, Spain and beyond.
In the international arena, what intergenerational initiatives do you think are most noteworthy?
Luckily, we have more and better initiatives every time. For example, a few weeks ago I visited Lasell University in Massachusetts (USA). This institution is known because in the year 2000 it inaugurated, within the campus itself, a residential and care space for the elderly where more than 200 of these people have access to daily interaction with young university students. It seems to me a brilliant idea to promote intergenerationality hand in hand with higher education.
Another example: the Scottish government has decided also finance an intergenerational campus, but in this case combining the stages of early childhood, primary and secondary education with opportunities for permanent adult education. Thanks to this decision, it has been possible to renovate several schools and regroup them so that students can grow in an environment with the presence of more generations.
As I said, there are many examples: mentoring projects, civic centers, the use of different artistic modalities to promote intergenerational community development, intergenerational accommodation projects… In Spain we are also advancing at a very good pace. In fact, in September 2018 they opened their doors in our country three intergenerational centersbeing one of them the one that Macrosad has built in the Granada town of Albolote.