Generational Memory and Family Relationships

Attias‐Donfut, Claudine; Wolff, François‐Charles

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511610714.047

Cited by 24 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…An attempt to reconcile the relationship between public and private experiences of generation can be found in Attias‐Donfut's (2003; Attias‐Donfut & Wolff, 2005) work on cultural transmission and generational memories. The cohort one is born into, she states, shapes one's personal destiny, through prevailing social conditions “At the time of entry into professional life, notably concerning the educational system and the labor market” (2003:214).…”

Section: Social–structural Approach To Generation: From the Public Tomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As Hagestad (2003) points out, families emerge as critical mediators between developing individuals and societies in flux, with Roos (2005) adding that life's turning points are seen as negative if they arise from macrosocial change while personal intergenerational events are more likely to be perceived positively. Further, the memory of historical events is itself shaped by the role of family members in passing the experience of social events on to younger generations, as “each generation has one foot in the history which formed its predecessor and one in its own history and time” (Attias‐Donfut & Wolff, 2005:453).…”

Section: Social–structural Approach To Generation: From the Public Tomentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thinking about Generations: Conceptual Positions and Policy Implications

Biggs

2007

Journal of Social Issues

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Three traditions of social theory are examined in this article, with a special emphasis being given to the ways that the concept of "generation" has been conceived and developed over time. These include Psychodynamic, Sociological, and Gerontological approaches with attention drawn to the similarities and differences among them. It is concluded that while conceptual development has been uneven, taken together, they provide a rich basis for a critical examination of contemporary social problems with implications for policy toward intergenerational relationships.This article examines the way the concept of generation has been used in various theories and approaches to the adult lifecourse. Generation goes to the heart of a number of debates about the nature of contemporary society. It has biological roots through the family, where generations generally refer to successive parentchild bonds. There are psychological dimensions in the sense of belonging and identity that can arise, depending upon the stance that an individual takes toward the generation in question. Generation is also used to locate particular birth cohorts in specific historical and cultural circumstances, such as the "baby boomers." It is a truly crossroads phenomenon that links a number of different fields and levels of analysis.The adult lifecourse, and its influence on intergenerational relations, is in a period of considerable flux. Scientific advances promise to extend the lifecourse, there are social and economic concerns about the sustainability of society's payas-you-go approach to pensions, and lifestyle changes appear to be redefining traditional roles and aspirations associated with later life. Each of these factors will influence the way that succeeding generations define each other and the degree of solidarity and rivalry that might result.

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Section: Social–structural Approach To Generation: From the Public Tomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social–structural Approach To Generation: From the Public Tomentioning

confidence: 99%

Thinking about Generations: Conceptual Positions and Policy Implications

Biggs

2007

Journal of Social Issues

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“…But it is possible to differentiate the collective memory of that experience used in current interaction from the impact of the events at the time they happened. The history of a generation can be understood as a remembered or imagined symbolic history, the past as a symbol creating meaning in the minds of present generations (Kastenbaum 1997; Hockey and James 2003; Attius‐Donfut and Wolff 2003). ‘History’ can further be used in a sense closer to that of Elias's (1978, 1982) figurations, that is, as an unfolding of a historical process embedded in the consequences of mutually interacting behaviours.…”

Section: Introduction: What Are Generations?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding generations: political economy and culture in an ageing society

Vincent

2005

British Journal of Sociology

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Sociological understanding of generations can be enhanced by avoiding defining them rigidly as chronological cohorts but rather linking people's accounts of their generational experience with an historically informed political economy. It then becomes possible, for example, to understand the complexity of generational politics. This paper uses data on the 'War Generation' taken from the Exeter Politics of Old Age project to link an empirically based political economy of generational inequality with a cultural sociology of generations. The 'War Generation' recognizes itself and is referred to by others in terms of a common identity. It is also an historical generation; its values, attitudes and, above all, sense of national solidarity and mutual obligation were forged in the direct experience of war. But it is also divided by divergent economic interests in property and pension rights based on the historical experience of the life course by successive groups and this segmentation can be observed in political action. The political culture of the War Generation manifests both continuity and change. Understanding these dynamics requires listening to people constructing their worlds, understanding their full range of historical experiences, and analysing the conditions for their conflicts and their cohesion.

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“…Despite growing evidence of the importance of religion in family life (Chatters& Taylor, 2005;Mahoney, Pargament, Tarakeshwar & Swank, 2001) and its obvious relevance as a normative factor in family decision-making, only few papers have addressed the role of religiosity in intergenerational relationships.…”

Section: Religiosity and Intergenerational Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%