Predictors of the Likelihood to Provide Intergenerational Activities in Child and Adult Day Care Centers

Abstract

This study examined the relative contribution of various factors to the likely provision of intergenerational activities in child and adult day care settings. Two hundred and twenty-six administrators rated their: (a) current frequency of contact with children and older adults; (b) current frequency of intergenerational activities in their settings; (c) attitudes toward intergenerational exchanges, using the Inter-generational Exchanges Attitudes Scale; and (d) self-reported likelihood to provide intergenerational activities in the future. As was predicted, attitudes toward intergenerational exchanges accounted for significantly more (p< .0001) of the overall variance in likelihood scores (12.8%) than did either current intergenerational program activity (3.7%) or current intergenerational contact (2.0%).     

Intergenerational Communities

Abstract

The authors argue for intergenerational programs based on two contemporary orientations to teaching and learning: constructiv-ist and sociocultural. They provide examples of school-based intra- and inter-generational activities that challenge conventional notions about the capabilities of young children and speak to the learning benefits of collaborative decision-making. The authors offer several specific guidelines for intergenerational program developers and researchers that focus on assessing the learning potential of intergenerational initiatives. They also recommend case studies and participatory research approaches as particularly useful for gaining insight into intergenerational learning processes.     

Intergenerational Interactions

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine interactions between elder volunteers and children in a campus-based child care center, using the revised Interaction Analysis Instrument (Newman & Onawola, 1989). Findings from video-taped interactions suggested that intergenerational interactions may be systematically related to the nature of specific program activities. Thus it may be important for program coordinators to consider the kind of intergenerational interactions they want to facilitate when choosing among various intergenerational activities. Additional recommendations are offered to child-care and elder-care organizers who are interested in developing intergenerational programs.     

The Intergenerational Field Needs More Ethnographic Research

Abstract

Dominant approaches to intergenerational research may be inadequate to meet new challenges to the intergenerational field, such as increasing complexity of program settings, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a mandate to address social problems. An ethnographic approach to intergenerational work may be an effective strategy for meeting these challenges. An ethnographic approach involves a holistic perspective using field-based methods of data collection and a cross-cultural research base. As ethnographic methods have been used successfully in related areas such as education, gerontology, and child development, researchers are encouraged to integrate this perspective into studies of intergenerational programming. Various resource materials are described for practitioners and researchers interested in learning more about the ethnographic approach.     

Corporate Opportunities for Intergenerational Linkages

Abstract

The potential impact of dependent care needs on corporate employers and employees is described. Recommendations are made regarding the development of effective intergenerational approaches to meet these needs and reduce their associated expenses. The roles of human resource personnel, intergenerational program developers and intergenerational program researchers in such initiatives are described.     

The Mentoring Factor

Abstract

Across Ages is a comprehensive, intergenerational mentoring program designed to reduce adolescent drug abuse and to help older adults (55+) maintain active roles in their communities. For an outcome evaluation, students in classrooms from Philadelphia public schools were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: A curriculum and community service condition (Program Group), a curriculum, service, and mentoring condition (Mentoring Group), or a Control Group. Eight modified scales and three original scales were completed by 562 students in a pretest and posttest design. Results suggest that the Program Group participants, as compared to the Control Group participants, showed significant improvement in their sense of well-being, knowledge about elders, reactions to situations involving drug use, and attitudes toward community service. Participants in the Mentoring Group also improved in their attitudes toward school, the future, and elders. Implications for further research and practical considerations for program replication are discussed.     

Filial Daughter? Filial Son? How China’s Young Urban Elite Negotiate Intergenerational Obligations

ABSTRACT

This article deploys narrative method to explore how young adults in China enrolled in higher education negotiate future intergenerational obligations. The study finds that the process through which filial piety is being renegotiated is complex and sometimes contradictory, and norms and values do not always align with practices, as intergenerational obligations need to be managed in tandem with obligations envisioned towards future spouses, as well as work opportunities. Although no longer explicitly son-centred, the intergenerational contract is highly gendered, and patrilineality and patrilocality have not simply become attenuated through some general process of modernization. Rather, there are many ways in which they have become renegotiated, revealing both continuity and change in intergenerational relations. The article illustrates ways in which both patrilineality and patrilocality—whether endorsed, resisted, or negotiated—are still important organizing principles for how intergenerational relations play out. It introduces the concept of “neo-patrilocality” to denote the practice of families channelling resources along the patriline to organize housing for sons in order to enhance their prospect of getting married and having children, a central aspect of filial piety. While filial sons may be involved in more complex relations of reciprocity due to both cultural imperatives and material investments, filial daughters appear to have more leeway in negotiating intergenerational relations. This may reflect a watered-down, but still implicit, understanding that daughters and grandchildren by daughters are outside of the lineage. It seems that, for filial daughters, the parent–adult-child relation is both more intense and more central to filial piety, while for filial sons, intergenerational relations extend beyond the parent–child relation—to grandparents and future children—more than they do for young women. The article concludes that gender relations and intergenerational relations interact and mutually reinforce one another, and that there are differences in class. Patrilineality and neo-patrilocality were more central for affluent and less privileged families than for families belonging to the middle class.     

Capacity-Building Partnerships Between Indigenous Youth and Elders

Abstract

Various strategies are discussed for creating intergenerational research opportunities that support the rights of indigenous children and youth. These strategies were developed during an international workshop that brought together indigenous elders and youth from 20 nations to discuss a global intergenerational action plan. Specific workshop goals were to (a) explore traditional values and teachings that nurture children, and (b) identify ways in which the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child might support indigenous peoples in developing research and training initiatives for strengthening the rights of indigenous children. The workshop applied traditional methods of mediation and dispute management to discussions of key child-rights issues relevant to indigenous children. The plan of action developed in the workshop included specific strategies for community and national level research based on information provided by Indigenous elders, children, and youth. Issues appropriate for study by inter-generational researchers include those related to discrimination, health, child protection, and increased participation of children and youth in cultural traditions.     

Student Improvement in the Intergenerational Work/Study Program

Abstract

This exploratory study of the Intergenerational Work/ Study Program examined whether structured intergenerational relationships may be associated with a change in the school attendance and achievement of high school students considered to be at-risk for dropping out of high school. Two separate regression analyses were performed to measure the contribution of 11 independent variables to (a) prediction of attendance levels, and (b) earned course credits. The R for the regression for credits was non-significant. For attendance levels, R for regression was significantly different from zero, F (11, 219) = 4.24, p < .0001. Whether the school of enrollment was categorized as alternative or mainstream, as well as time spent in group intergenerational activities and time spent in one-on-one intergenerational activities all contributed significantly. Altogether, 18% (13% adjusted) of the variability in attendance levels was predicted by knowing scores on these 11 variables.     

Material Feminism and Epigenetics: A ‘Critical Window’ for Engagement?

ABSTRACT

While there is increasing interest in gender and sex issues in the medical field, most research in medicine can still be defined as operating with a binary of sex/gender. Epigenetics presents a marked challenge to such binaries as it operates across many tightly held boundaries, blurring the lines between the biological and social. Feminist scholars are paying attention to this new field and reconsidering relationships between the politics of matter, biologies and the social in new ways. The aim of this article is to investigate how theoretical insights from material feminism might enhance epigenetic research. Rather than repeat important critical arguments that point to the dangers of reductionism and biological essentialism, we make a case for examining the ways that material feminism can engage with epigenetic research by broadening ideas of reproduction (beyond in-utero effects) to relational and political views of gender and sex within a materialist framework. In conclusion, we suggest that a focus on material-discursive co-formations has the potential to contribute to an established body of feminist theory and science work; increasing awareness of the intra-action of gender and sex in relation to exposures, and increasing political leverage in supporting health-enhancing environments.     

Pathways of Intergenerational Transmission of Advantages during Adolescence: Social Background,Cognitive Ability,and Educational Attainment

Educational attainment in adolescence is of paramount importance for attaining higher education and for shaping subsequent life chances. Sociological accounts focus on the role of differences in socioeconomic resources in intergenerational reproduction of educational inequalities. These often disregard the intergenerational transmission of cognitive ability and the importance of children’s cognitive ability to educational attainment. Psychological perspectives stress the importance of cognitive ability for educational attainment but underemphasize potentially different roles of specific socioeconomic resources in shaping educational outcomes, as well as individual differences in cognitive ability. By integrating two strands of research, a clearer picture of the pathways linking the family of origin, cognitive ability, and early educational outcomes can be reached. Using the population-based TwinLife study in Germany, we investigated multidimensional pathways linking parental socioeconomic position to their children’s cognitive ability and academic track attendance in the secondary school. The sample included twins (N?=?4008), respectively ages 11 and 17, and siblings (N?=?801). We observed strong genetic influences on cognitive ability, whereas shared environmental influences were much more important for academic tracking. In multilevel analyses, separate dimensions of socioeconomic resources influenced child cognitive ability, controlling parental cognitive ability. Controlling adolescent cognitive ability and parental cognitive ability, parental socioeconomic resources also directly affected track attendance. This indicated that it is crucial to investigate the intertwined influences on educational outcomes in adolescence of both cognitive ability and the characteristics of the family of origin.     

Is Everything Compatible? A Feminist Critique of Hearn’s Composite Approach to Men and Masculinity

ABSTRACT

Since its emergence in the late 1980s, research on men and masculinity has expanded considerably into an established area at the intersection of sociology, gender studies and related disciplines. There is now a wealth of empirical research but the theoretical debates have largely centred on Connell’s notion of hegemonic masculinity. This article focuses instead on the theoretical contribution of Jeff Hearn, arguably one of the central figures within critical studies on men and masculinities over the last few decades. The article identifies the main tenets of Hearn’s theoretical writing and tracks its development over time, and offers a critical discussion of Hearn’s theoretical position. The critique focuses on ambiguous treatments of central concepts and argues that tensions between perspectives such as materialist analysis, queer theory and intersectionality are not fully acknowledged in Hearn’s work.     

Guidelines in Child and Youth Care Family Work

SUMMARY

There are many paths that can be taken with the families we encounter in our work. It is this richness in options that can make the child and youth care approach so powerful. However, amongst each potential path there are a number of common guideposts that serve as markers for our interactions with families. These guiding principles are described through the use of examples from a family in a program for teens who are parenting.     

隔代照料问题研究述评与政策思考 ——基于老年人力资源开发的视角

老年人是重要的人力资源。家庭内部的隔代照料是老年人力资源开发的重要途径，可对推动女 性就业、促进人口均衡发展和经济增长作出重要贡献。但隔代照料也会对老年人的身心健康产生积极或消极影 响。本研究在借鉴国外隔代照料家庭支持政策的基础上，采用社会政策分析框架探讨我国隔代照料支持政策的 发展思路。研究认为，应将隔代照料支持政策纳入各地“一老一小”整体解决方案和老年人力资源开发相关政 策。未来应进一步分析老年隔代照料的经济价值，统筹考量其经济成本，多学科细化分析其社会性价值与成本， 强化老年隔代照料的政策研究。     

Intergenerational Transmission of Work Values: A Meta-Analytic Review

Work values act as guiding principles for individuals’ work-related behavior. Economic self-sufficiency is an important predictor for psychological well-being in adulthood. Longitudinal research has demonstrated work values to be an important predictor of economic behavior, and consequently of self-sufficiency. Socialization theories designate parents an important role in the socialization of their children to cultural values. Yet, extant literature is limited in demonstrating the role families play on how youth develop agentic pathways and seek self-sufficiency in transition to adulthood. This study presents a meta-analytic review investigating the intergenerational transmission of work values, which is frequently assessed in terms of parent–child value similarities. Thirty studies from 11 countries (N?=?19,987; Median child age?=?18.15) were included in the analyses. The results revealed a significant effect of parents on their children’s work values. Both mothers’ and fathers’ work values, and their parenting behavior were significantly associated with their children’s work values. Yet, similarity of father–child work values decreased as child age increased. Our findings suggest a moderate effect, suggesting the influence of general socio-cultural context, such as generational differences and peer influences, in addition to those of parents on youth’s value acquisition. Our systematic review also revealed that, despite its theoretical and practical importance, social science literature is scarce in comprehensive and comparative empirical studies that investigate parent–child work value similarity. We discuss the implications of our findings for labor market and policy makers.     

The role of complexity theory and network analysis for examining child welfare service delivery systems

Abstract

In response to the ongoing call for a complex systems approach for understanding and informing child welfare practice and policy, this article presents a context-specific conceptual framework that combines complexity theory and network analysis. The conceptual framework rests on the complementary nature of these theoretical and methodological concepts for inter-organizational child welfare practice. Potential applications of this framework are discussed to promote network-oriented research that informs effective collaboration among organizations serving children and families.     

The land of no taboo: agrarian politics of neglect and care in Madagascar

ABSTRACT

In considering the complex relationships between taboo, culture and landscapes, it is productive to examine not only how people bestow taboos onto places, but also how they take them away. In this contribution, I use as a case study a 35-hectare parcel of agricultural land in Madagascar, where members of an extended family are debating whether or not to continue to follow their ancestral taboos while farming. Analyzing the debate, alternative historical, cultural and political narratives of land relationships emerge, including a fraught colonial history, ongoing battles over land tenure, shifting community demographics, and intergenerational conflicts. Overall, this stretch of land illustrates that agricultural landscapes may be rendered without taboo not because they lack meaning, but because they contain an excess of overlapping – and highly contentious – meanings.     

Examining Youth and Program Predictors of Engagement in Out-of-School Time Programs

Prior research suggests that youths’ engagement in out-of-school time programs may be a crucial factor linking program participation to positive outcomes during adolescence. Guided by the theoretical concept of flow and by stage-environment fit theory, the present study explored correlates of engagement in youth programs. Engagement was conceptualized as the extent to which youth found the program activities enjoyable, interesting, and challenging. The current study examined how program content, monetary incentives, and youth demographic characteristics were linked to youth engagement among a sample of primarily low-income middle and high school youth attending 30 out-of-school programs (n = 435, 51 % female). Results from multilevel models suggested that program content and staff quality were strongly associated with youth engagement. Youth who reported learning new skills, learning about college, and learning about jobs through activities in the program were more engaged, as were youth who found the staff caring and competent. Results demonstrated that the link between learning content for the future and engagement was stronger for older youth than younger youth. In addition, there was a trend suggesting that providing a monetary incentive was associated negatively with youth engagement. Taken as a whole, these findings have important implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in understanding the characteristics of out-of-school time programs that engage older youth.     

Establishing School Volunteer Programs

Abstract

Schools can no longer rely on students' mothers as a primary source of volunteers. Over the past decade, retired persons have contributed more assistance in the classroom than any other group. The partnership between schools and older members of the community can be viewed as a creative process that offers inherent benefits for both the children and the volunteers. The children may benefit from the individualized attention and from gaining knowledge about older people. For the adults, volunteering may make them feel more productive and may reduce feelings of loneliness or depression. Specific guidelines and a tool for providing volunteer feedback are offered to educators that are designed to maximize program success and sustained volunteer involvement.     

When a man debates a woman: Trump vs. Clinton in the first mixed gender presidential debates

Televised political debates have attracted intensive research interest. Here we examined the effect of mixed-gender televised political debates on the candidates’ multimodal gender communicative accountability structure. The 2016 election campaign in the United States introduced for the first time a new factor into the presidential political contest: gender. This study is grounded in a theoretical and analytical framework that maps gender accountability structures of verbal/nonverbal communication patterns. We analyzed the televised debates during the 2016 US presidential campaign with the candidates: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The findings indicated that during mixed-gender debates, contenders present conduct that correspond to their gender communicative structures, primarily nonverbal patterns. Trump mainly expressed masculine-communicative patterns, while Clinton displayed mostly feminine-communicative patterns. The theoretical and analytical framework highlights the effect of gender on political communication. The novel perspective delineates and explains the implications of multimodal gender communicative accountability structure of contenders in mixed-gender political debates.