Bridging Generations: Intergenerational Solidarity for Healthy Ageing
摘要
Family relationships become the foundation of social and emotional bonding as people get older. Intergenerational relationships are nurtured through positive reciprocity throughout a person’s life. The Potential advantages of inter-generational relationships for the bonding of two or more generations are being recognised. Recent studies have revealed that the contributions of grandparenting to grandchildren are associated with reduced adjustment difficulties and more positive consequences among children and adults. From a solidarity perspective, positive family relationships can facilitate interactions between members of different generations and contribute to the progressive development of each member. Due to the increased life expectancy and better health provisions, grandparents have a significant influence on grandchildren’s lives. However, due to the ongoing processes like urbanisation, industrialisation, and migration; both structural and functional changes in the family are clearly noticed. Against this backdrop, the paper highlights the importance of intergenerational relationships. The subsequent section focuses on the factors that influence the bonding between generations with a framework of intergenerational solidarity for healthy ageing. Relevant suggestions for bridging generational differences and promoting intergenerational perspectives in policy and practice are outlined in the Indian context.