Intergeneration Approaches
Day 1
Schedule
2:00 pm
-
3:30 pm
Lab II
English
Intergeneration Approaches
- Expanding the Intergenerational Contact Zone: The Singapore Experience
- In the recent decade, we are beginning to witness more efforts in Singapore to promote intergenerational (IG) interactions. This presentation seeks to examine the impact of such opportunities on the old and young through a discussion of selected IG programs present in education and care services. From the framework of “intergenerational contact zone” (ICZ), I argue that in expanding the ICZ, there will be a need for toolkits sensitive to local conditions and variations within the old and young. Moreover, the joint commitment to IG connection among cross-generational facilities is equally significant for the sustainability of the efforts.
- Living in Harmony: Value of Grandparents’ Reaction to Generational Gaps in Balinese Family
- All world regions are experiencing an increase in the absolute and relative size of their older populations, and the global age distribution will change from a pyramid to a cylindrical form. The number of people living in multigenerational family households will continue to rise. In Indonesia, responsibility of caring for the elderly people is held by the first son and daughter-in-law of the family. Three or more generations living together is a common practice in Indonesian family, with 35% of the total population of elderly people living with family. Bali is one of the top five provinces with the highest proportion of elderly people. With generations living together, there is a changing pattern of the intergenerational family relations, and generations may conflict in values, habits, and communication styles. This qualitative research study, conducted in Bali, investigated how elderly people react to the generational gaps in the extended family context. Through grounded theory analysis of data from 15 participants age 60 and older in urban areas of Bali, the study found that grandparents have a “living-in-harmony” value in reaction to the generational gaps in the family. This value consists of optimism of the future, the perception of ideal interaction, positive reaction to generational gaps, and positive conflict-resolution style.
- Age-Friendly Honolulu: Building Connections Across Generations
- Honolulu is taking steps to build an age-friendly community and support active aging. Such initiatives are crucial, given that the state of Hawai’i is aging more rapidly than the rest of the US and leads the nation in healthy life expectancy. The Age-Friendly Honolulu Initiative, which began in 2014 and is supported by Honolulu’s Mayor, promotes youth engagement in aging issues and community building. Younger generations need to understand their changing roles and responsibilities in an aging society and create a better future for themselves. This presentation will describe intergenerational programs created in Honolulu to improve awareness of aging and dementia issues, build empathy, and improve understanding of community issues.
- Intergenerations in a Changing World
- The rapid population aging underscores the importance of creating opportunities for older adults to continue to flourish and to lead a quality life in society. By drawing on a lifetime of experience, older adults can help young generations to develop the skills and self-confidence necessary to navigate difficult life obstacles. Intergenerational programs can help young people to develop positive attitudes and experiences regarding interacting with, living with, and caring for older adults. The presentation will discuss some ways of realizing the potential in finding innovative means in enhancing and evaluating the positive effects of intergenerational programs.
Speakers
Dr Leng Leng THANG
Associate Professor, National University of Singapore
Dr Leng Leng THANG heads the Department of Japanese Studies and is also Deputy Director of the Centre for Family and Population Research at the National University of Singapore. She is a sociocultural anthropologist with a particular research interests on ageing, intergenerational approaches, and relationships. Besides actively publishing, she also provides consultancy to public and private agencies on promoting intergenerational approaches. She is co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships.
Ms Made Diah Lestari
Lecturer, Udayana University
Made Diah Lestari is a lecturer and secretary for Department of Psychology, Medical Faculty at Udayana University. She teaches clinical psychology, gerontology mental health, and sexual psychology. She also works for community as a facilitator on older people group activity in Bantas Village, Denpasar, Bali and is a staff member for Udayana Community Development Program (UCDP). She believes that sharing knowledge and skill with community is a fascinating activity. Intergenerational relations and family caregiving have been her area of interest since the population of ageing become an issue in her country. She is working on research about models of interaction and multigenerational caregiving in the Balinese family.
Dr Christy Nishita
Researcher, University of Hawai’i
Christy Nishita, Ph.D. is a Researcher at the University of Hawai’i Center on Aging. She received her Ph.D. in Gerontology from the University of Southern California. Her focus is on improving community-based long-term care, with publications on aging in place, nursing home transitions, intergenerational programming, and health promotion. She is the consultant for the Age-Friendly Honolulu Initiative and Principal Investigator for the Hawaii Alzheimer's Disease Initiative.
Dr Alma Au
Research Coordinator, Institute of Active Ageing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Dr Alma Au is the Research Coordinator of the Institute of Active Ageing at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She also works as Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Social Sciences. She is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Psychological Society. She has obtained a number of grants both from both government and non-government organizations on developing sustainable models of healthcare and productive aging in the context of intergenerational relationships.
Moderator
Dr Xue BAI
Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Dr Xue BAI is Assistant Professor and Programme Leader of BA(Hons) in Applied Ageing Studies and Service Management in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her areas of expertise mainly include positive ageing and subjective wellbeing in later life, family gerontology, and retirement policy and social care for older people.