After conducting a literature review about Intergenerational Programs, I found that the beginning of the generation gap began in the 1930's. The social security act of 1935 demonstrated that the demands of the generations were quite different. Medicare and the Older Americans Act furthered this separation. Finally, retirement communities and the growing numbers of the American Association of Retired Persons set the elderly on one end of the generation spectrum. MTV and the advertisement industry's discovery (or creation) of "Youth Culture," fixed the younger generations of our society at the opposite end of this spectrum.
I also found that planned inter-generational programs are about 30 years old. The first known intergenerational program was the "Foster Grandparent" program; established in 1969. In 1970, the National council on Aging and Action (the Federal agency which promotes citizen service) developed a service learning program in which university students were given opportunities to link coursework with service to their communities' elderly. In 1975, the United States Office of Education and the Administration on Aging made a formal commitment to involve older persons in the schools. A White House Conference on Intergenerational cooperation was held in 1981, where it was proclaimed that, "the development of positive attitudes of younger persons toward older persons is preliminary to the acceptance of older persons as vital and contributing members of the community." This set the foundation for the needs of the generations to be met and linked together.
Statement of Need
Interaction between young children and older adults once was a part of everyday life. Children saw relatives of various ages at family gatherings, where bonds were established through casual relations. Today, children's older relatives are less likely to live nearby, family lifestyles have changed, and children are less likely to communicate with older family members on a regular basis.
As society has changed, families and communities have become increasingly age segregated in their living patterns and activities; there is a decrease in interaction between the younger and older generations. This reduced contact has resulted in the younger generation's lack of connection with the past and the older generation's lack of connection with the future. As a result, misleading myths and stereotypes about youth and aging have developed.
The bias against older adults in America is so prevalent that it has been given the name "ageism". This is, in particular, which causes individuals to discriminate against elderly persons by avoiding contact, victimizing or injuring them due to heir age. The stereotype of society views them as "rigid, meddlesome, sexless, conservative, unhealthy, inactive, lonely, forgetful and not very bright."
Continuing to review appropriate literature about the generation gap, I have found that approximately one-fourth of American children and youth see their elderly family members less than once a year. Another 30 percent have only monthly contact. These conditions contribute to disjointed relationships between young and old. As a result, myths and stereotypes may portray young and old persons' views of each other.
The elders may dislike and fear youth's lack of respect. The young feel threatened by older persons' disapproval (real or made-up) For many youths, contact with the elderly is limited to those they see at the mall or on the bus. They tend to look upon aging as an, unpleasant and horrible, process-putting off the realization that someday they too will be "old." These misunderstandings and lack of intergenerational connectedness diminish our society.
Children will learn about aging whether or not they are taught. Children learn about aging the same way they learn about many other things, by absorbing whatever they see or hear around them. Often they are not able to separate what is fact and what is fabrication. Research shows that, even at a very early age, children may already have internalized idea that can serve as a source for ageism. What children learn through absorption is based on myths about the aging process and on stereotypes of older people that are deeply ingrained in our culture. These myths and stereotypes are passed on from one generation to another in our language, humor and literature, and through all the media by which we carry on the knowledge, values and attitudes of our society.
Through my literature review it was revealed that the negative perception and lack of education about the aging begin at a very young age within the school system itself. An article called "Depictions of Aging and the Elderly in Primary Grade reading Instructional Material" shows that children are internalizing and accepting these stereotypes of the elderly when they are very young. They have very negative perceptions about the elderly and about growing old. The elderly were viewed as "wrinkled, short, and gray-haired." They were also seen as people who "chew funny, don't go out much, sit all day and watch TV in their rocking chairs, and have heart attacks and die."
The most commonly used materials for reading instruction through primary grades (1-3) in public schools are the basal readers. Children identify with the characters found in these readers. Not only do they identify with the characters, they identify with the images, values, and ideals that society projects as well.
Out of the 298 stories that were analyzed, there were 844 primary characters and only 6.6% of those characters were elderly. Of these characters the data showed more negative than positive statements made about the elderly. "Statements about the elderly, aging, and old age were made in terms of capacity loss, necessity of assistance, physical problems, and unattractiveness." (Gutknecht, p.10)
More than 11% of America's population consists of the elderly and is the fastest growing age group. It is for these reasons basal reader authors and publishers must begin to increase the number of elderly primary characters in the stories, and increase the number of stories containing elderly characters.
Improving basal reader's content is one way to begin the education of our children about the elderly. It is necessary to continue to bring together the elderly and the children to educate each other about generational diversity. Intergenerational programs offer a positive approach to responding to these societal conditions by providing more opportunities for interaction between the generations.
Description of the Intervention
Intergenerational student community service programs help re-connect the ties that have been broken in modern-day society. One of the goals of these programs is to replace fears and stereotypes with more positive and productive attitudes by promoting contacts between the young and the old. For when a person comes to really know another, differences in age, background, and beliefs that may result in hostility or avoidance can encourage understanding, respect, and love.
My intervention included planning a day for senior citizens to go into a classroom to participate in a structured day of activity and learning. I wanted to work with a lower elementary grade (2-4) classroom teacher to construct a day of teaching about aging and the elderly.
Additional steps that would need to be taken in order to put such a day in progress would be to:
Evaluation of the Intervention
I was not able to implement the intergenerational intervention due to the extreme amount of research and understanding needed for such a large project.
After much research and preparation I realized it entailed much more than I had anticipated. I was not near completion nor ready to put together a day of activity geared toward aging. Implementing an intergenerational activity involves long planning, extensive research and organization. Time did not permit the amount needed for such a large project.
It was also difficult to plan such an activity with several different participants. These participants include the teacher to whom will provide the class for the activity, the school administration for approval, the volunteer gathering, and the education of the children and parents about the project.
Reflections on the Project
It is a wonderful idea and it is a future goal of mine to implement this program along the path of my profession. I hope others agree with the increase in need of such a program and strive to make it a future goal as well.
References
Author unknown (1999) Strategies for the future. SIUC CWIS Illinois; Intergenerational Initiative. Available Http://www.siu.edu/offices/iii/isl.html
Talvola, Barbara (1999, November 3) The Senior’s View. Trinity Journal, pp. 12
Jaret, Peter. (2000, January/February). Sweat now Age Later. Women’s Sports and Fitness, pp. 116-121.
Arluke, Arnold & Levin, Jack (1982) "Second Childhood". Public Communication review-Volume 1. No. 2 (microfiche# ED 223494)
Gutknecht, Bruce (1986). Depictions of Aging and the Elderly in Primary Grade Reading Instructional Material. Published Report. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Reading conference, December 2-6, 1986. (Microfiche# ED278956)
Janet Levy Center, 2000. California State University, Chico.
Sheenan, R. "Young Children’s" Contact with the Elderly," The Journal of Gerontology, 33, 4 , p. 376
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