If you've ever had to explain your point of view on a current trend to someone several generations above or below you, you'll understand that intergenerational relationships can be complex. In this teaching we delve into the fundamental aspects of building cohesive, multigenerational communities. We will explore the essence of intergenerational unity, discussing why it's essential for communities to embrace diversity across age groups. Join us on a journey of discovery as we uncover the key principles that foster harmony and collaboration among generations.
This session follows the teaching, What’s a Generation?
Which looked at what makes a generation, a similar timeline and a similar culture, it looked at why each generation is different, and we started to discuss why a community or workplace needs several generations to function well.
This seminar is called, "Understanding Intergenerational Relationships."
First, let’s look at at the definition of what it means to be intergenerational
An intergenerational community is, one that is composed of members of several generations who engage in positive interactions with each other resulting in interdependency and mutual beneficence.
So, in simple terms:
- There are several generations present.
- They get along with each other, will work together to accomplish mutual goals, and they benefit from each other’s company.
Notice that being an intergenerational community is not just several generations being in the same place at the same time.
That is called multigenerational, and by itself, there are no relationships required to fulfill this.
But for there to be intergenerational relationships, you need the different generations to actually have a healthy and mutually beneficial community taking place.
It’s like expecting everyone who’s watching a movie in a packed theatre to behave as a family, even though they have nothing to do with each other – apart from perhaps choosing to watch the same film.
Having intergenerational relationships is not just about presence, it’s about community.
It’s about unity, connectedness and belonging.
It’s about everyone having a voice and being empowered to contribute to the community.
So, that’s one common assumption people tend to make.
Now before we discuss this any further, let’s first look at a couple of other false assumptions about what it means to be an intergenerational community.
“Being intergenerational means focusing on children, youth – or basically the younger generations.”
I’ve heard this a lot but it’s actually the opposite of intergenerational, as we are just replacing the importance of one generation with another, albeit younger one.
If one generation is placed above others in a community – whether higher in terms of authority or importance, it’s not an intergenerational community.
Here’s another one:
“A truly intergenerational community means that all generations must always do things together. There should never be any time in a program and/or event where similar age groups get together by themselves.”
This is a very extreme view of intergenerational community, and I absolutely do not recommend this view at all.
There are times when it’s beneficial to have just the same generation together.
The people who understand the stage of life you are going through the most are the ones who are also going through it.
There are some life topics that are mostly applicable to one age group – such as teen dating, or retirement planning.
I doubt you’ll have many people under the age of 30 going to a retirement planning meeting, and likewise – it would be very strange for someone old to go to a teen dating seminar unless they were teaching it.
If you didn’t have anything to do with teens, it would actually be quite creepy if you turned up, let’s be honest.
I’ve heard of people who have dragged their children to Bible studies that were almost as academic as university lectures, and made them sit through them even though it was years above their developmental stage – if it’s more than two grade levels above where someone’s understanding is, it’s a waste of time to have them attend.
In fact, it may put them off that topic psychologically in the future.
So, everything does not and should not be intergenerational.
Lastly, and this may be a bit nit picky of me – but when we talk about religious spaces, like churches, sometimes people will look at the definition and say yes we are an intergenerational church!
But then I ask them the question:
“Aside from your own family members, do you connect with the other generations”
To which many will realise that they are counting their own family members in the community, whether it’s uncles or grandmothers, or cousins as the only people from other generations they are connecting with.
Now, while it’s great that you’re connecting with family members at church – if you weren’t talking and connecting with your own family, well that would be a whole other issue wouldn’t it?
So, when we think about being intergenerational we should really be thinking about whether or not we’re mixing and communing with people we are not related to.
Now you may be wondering if there are any specific things that tell you whether or not your community is intergenerational.
I’m here to tell you, yes there are.
Through my research, I found that there are actually five characteristics that must be part of a community in order for it to be an intergenerational one.
They are:
- Positive Interactions
- Connectedness
- Interdependency
- Accommodation
- Empowerment
It was found that the more of each of these factors were found in a community, the more intergenerational it was.
But you need all of them in a healthy community.
I have been to some churches where they were very good at the first three unifying characteristics, Positive Interactions, Connectedness, and Interdependency.
But the same churches only allowed the older generations to make decisions, and they frowned upon anything that was different to what the elders liked.
Which meant they weren’t very good at Empowerment and Accommodation, the last two more supportive characteristics.
A healthy intergenerational community has all five of these characteristics present.
But before we look into these characteristics, let’s talk about why is any of this im
In our next few seminars, we’re going to talk about what each of these characteristics mean in more depth, and how they can be encouraged in a community.
I hope you’ll join us.
I’m Dr. Joe Azzopardi, helping you unite the generations.
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