Narrative Gerontology and Digital Storytelling: What Benefits for Elders?

Abstract

The well-being of the aging population is a current and growing concern. We have explored two different ways which, if combined, seem to be a new promising concept. Narrative gerontology is credited with bringing many benefits and improving the feeling of "well-being" of the elders through intergenerational sharing, and thus, allowing a "well-aging". Digital storytelling, through sound, image and music, tells a biography in a few minutes that can be shared with an intimate or as many as the whole wired world. Thereby, by combining narrative gerontology and digital storytelling to create "digital narrative gerontology", we wish to bring a new promoter concept which will act positively on the "wellbeing" of the elders, on their "well-aging" and share these positive values with the community.

Co-participatory multimodal intergenerational storytelling: Preschool children’s relationship with modality creating elder inclusion

“…This helps elders with their lifelong learning while intersecting with validation and approval (Stacy and Aguilar, 2018). How they learn, adapt, and develop their storytelling style benefits their emotional connection, inclusion, and sense of well-being (Pecorini and Duplaa, 2017) through increased interaction (in various modes) with the next generation. Following Stacy and Aguilar, this article posits that 'intergenerational support between children and parents enhances the learning of the older relative in a unique manner' (Stacy and Aguilar, 2018: 33).…”

“…In line with the framework of Pecorini and Duplaa (2017), the analysis was divided into three sections: engagement with the storyteller, relationship to the modality, and participatory well-ageing interaction (Table 2). Each section contained questions that the researchers investigated to determine the success of a theme based on the interaction of the participants.…”

“…This article flips that perspective to investigate children’s capacity for agency in facilitating elders’ lifelong learning and emotional inclusion through co-participatory multimodal storytelling. In the context of the COVID pandemic, we must not overlook the generational social contract (Rupčić, 2018) and must re-conceptualize the importance of these co-participatory relationships; validation creates emotional, physical, and sociocultural multimodal intergenerational interaction (Pecorini and Duplaa, 2017). The present study highlights two intersecting aspects of storytelling: the inclusion of older people in co-participation, and multimodal narrative gerontology based on the model of Pecorini and Duplaa (2017) (to be unpacked later).…”

“…Isolation and a lack of inclusion can lead to mental health issues (Jarrott and Bruno, 2007). Research has credited storytelling with bringing many benefits and improving the well-being of elders through intergenerational sharing, thus contributing to ‘well-aging’ (Pecorini and Duplaa, 2017). This insight leads to the concept of narrative gerontology, a process where by an older person tells the story of their life.…”

Sharing Stories as Legacy: What Matters to Older Adults?

“…According to Pecorini and Duplàa (2017) 8 , life reviews by older adults, whose understanding about life is deeper and different from that of youth, inspire resilience and mutual learning among the young people. Older adults' narratives are powerful tools for educating younger generations and can lead to a better quality of life for the narrator as well as for the listener or viewer.…”