The influence of interaction between older and younger people on their perception of each other

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the effects of bringing young (aged 18 to 30) and older (aged 70+) people, who did not have relationships with anybody from the other generation, together in a group. The study was more specifically aimed at evaluating what the attitude of both groups is towards each other and whether there is any change in this attitude after interaction. Additionally, it wanted to discuss the advantages of bringing individuals from different generations together in intergenerational programmes for the enhancement of their wellbeing. This qualitative empirical research involved the collection of data, which were the perceptions of the participants, through one-to-one interviews (a copy of the interview guide can be found in Appendix I) held before the group activity (a copy of the description of the group activity can be found in Appendix J) and a questionnaire (a copy of the questionnaire can be found in Appendix K) afterwards. Participants were asked about their perception of how the other generation are physically represented, their cognitive behaviour and social and economic roles in society. Moreover, they were asked how intergenerational relationships could impact their lives. Age segregation creates less exposure to one another, consequently, it was found that media had a large impact on the image that each generation held towards the other. The young people participating in this study found it harder to make space for nonfamilial intergenerational interactions in their lives, whilst the older participants were more willing to incorporate such relationships into their lives due to their availability being higher. Intergenerational programmes were seen to act as a bridge between young persons and older ones. It is recommended that organised intergenerational programmes are set up and integrated into the Maltese educational system and that social workers are provided with more training about how to use intergenerational relationships in their interventions to assist individuals to understand and appreciate each other’s roles within society.