Intergenerational Relations and Cooperation

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to analyze intergenerational relations and cooperation in Slovenia and suggest activities that could bring together different generations. The paper discusses issues of intergenerational cooperation, which contributes substantially to solidarity, tolerance and quality of interpersonal relations, both, from a wider social viewpoint as well as from a narrower family viewpoint. Thus, the ageing of people has become a characteristic feature of demographic development in the world. "Developments in society such as geographic mobility, divorce, and nuclear families have led to an increasing gap between the old and young and minimized the opportunities for children to interact with grandparents or other older people (Kupetz, 1993)". As Bernard and Phillips (2000) explain "the situation of older people is becoming an increasingly important element in social policy debates" and the urgent need for "an integrated social policy which addresses the broad needs of an ageing society". With a low birth rate and the prolongation of life, the classic inter-generational relationships in Slovenia are quickly changing, therefore it is demanded from policymakers, that in cooperation with experts and civil society, they re-define them. The prevalence of the older generation is increasing more and more. Older people often encounter problems like loneliness, depression, loss of motor and functional abilities; they are also prone to various illnesses. For elderly, loneliness especially can represent a common problem which makes them past rich lives empty and unworthy. On the other hand, the fast technological development, changes in the way of living, also changes their habits which are linked to different periods of a person’s development. For this reason it comes to differences between generations and they are noticeable especially among the younger and older generation. The younger generation grows with the technology which often leads to addiction and lack of genuine contacts with people, especially with other generations (Ramovs, 2003). Changes in economic systems, the way of life itself and development in technology also leads to changes in habits, values, goals of the generation, etc., which subsequently creates differences between the older and younger generation in different periods. Every generation is, due to environmental effects, marked by events in a specific period of time that influence its behavior and values. These events are amongst others wars, crisis, moves, prolonged life span, change of lifestyle, fast technological development, globalization, etc. Periodically, the classification in the USA and Slovenia differs because of different political and economic system.