Nancy Hooyman University of Washington School of Social Work Presented at University of Pennsylvania, March 23, 2006

1. A Multigenerational Paradigm for Gero Education, Practice and Research Nancy Hooyman University of Washington School of Social Work Presented at University of Pennsylvania, March 23, 2006

2. Overview • Infusion model of Gero-Ed Center • Multigenerational approach to curriculum infusion/transformation • Rationale for multigen approach • Defining key terms • Conceptual model & rationale • Implications: education & research

3. National Center for Gero Social Work Education (Gero-Ed) • Infusion of gero sw competencies into foundation courses (BSW & 1st year MSW) & textbooks • Gerontological pervasiveness & sustainability • Cross-cutting principles (e.g., life course, intergenerational, strengths-based) • Intersections with other substantive areas

4. UW Institute for Multigen Health, Development and Equality • One model for curriculum infusion and transformation • Goal: to promote health, development & equality across multiple generations through cross-disciplinary education, research & community-based partnerships • Issues of age and aging are addressed within a multigen framework

5. Rationale: Conceptual • Growth in 3, 4 and 5 generation families • Of those age 35 and older, 80% members of 3 generation family, 16% in 4 generation • Growing evidence of cross-generational transmission of disease, behaviors, and disparities that affect well-being • Cross-generational relations are part of our social identity; affect quality of life and community cohesion • Importance of cross-generational exchanges • Older adults as underutilized resource; civic engagement, productivity

6. Rationale: Pragmatic • 75% of social workers work in some capacity with older adults and family members (NASW 2005) • Child welfare, schools, mental health, chronic care, disability services, HIV/AIDS • Lack training to serve multiple generations of families • Retirement of geriatric social workers

7. Rationale: Pragmatic • With reduced resources, need to break down “silos” of funding  competition • Develop collaborative models across populations and age groups (life span approach to service delivery) • Way to “hook” students who don’t want to work with “those old people” • Pre and post tests of MSW students

8. Broad Definition of Families • Subjective interactional quality of relationships, not necessarily by blood ties or living together • Cultural context: Fictive kin, families of choice, grandparents as caregivers, friend families • “Latent networks of support,” including neighborhood & community

9. Defining Key Terms • Cohort • Set apart by time and common experiences (historical, economic, political) that influence individual, family & community attitudes, behaviors & well-being across generations • Generation • Average period between birth of parents and birth of their offspring • May share common historical & cultural experiences, but may come from more than one cohort

10. Key Terms: Intergenerational • Reciprocal obligations, rights & influences between two generations • Personal interaction between individuals from two generations, typically intra-family • Generational transfers: Macro-level processes of welfare & economic exchange without empirical grounding in everyday lives • Politicizing of intergenerational competition

11. Critique of Intergen Approach • Focus on macro level transfers may overlook those at individual, family, community or neighborhood level • Focus on young and old • Individuals, micro level • Assume alienation, negative attitudes, conflict • Inter-generational programs & evaluation

12. Critique of Intergenerational • Assumes that intergen relations are generally problematic & that intergen practice is always worthwhile • Changing attitudes, typically of young toward old • Does not consider role & function of middle generations & interactions that occur across multiple generations in families, neighborhoods & communities

13. Key Terms: Multigenerational • Generational interdependence rather than independence • More than two generations, not just young and old • Includes intergenerational identity • Age and generation are socially constructed: distinctive cohort experiences impact multiple generations (families, organizations & communities) • Takes into account generational exchanges across the life course in family, neighborhood, organizations

14. Key Terms: Multigenerational • Acknowledges how ageism may lead to multigen conflicts • Explicitly includes the middle generation • Kinship care: the invisible generation • Incarcerated mothers • Women in the middle as caregivers • Caregiving across multiple generations and across life course

15. Multigen Relations & Diversity • High degree of heterogeneity (individual variation) & diversity across generations (groups relative to their structure in society) • Complexity of multigen dynamics across different cultures

16. Cultural Variations • Within and across cultural variations in how generational and multigen relations are defined, valued & experienced • Ethnicity, race, gender, class & sexual identity influence how generations perceive and relate to each other • Multigen exchanges often source of resilience among families of color • Fictive kin, kinship care, friends & neighbors • Policies that work against multigen strengths: e.g., single family housing

17. Key Terms: Multigen Practice • Assist individuals, families & communities within context of cross-generational relations & larger social system • Promote changes that build upon & strengthen the inherent capacities of multigen systems

18. Practitioners’ Input • Practitioners in child welfare and aging services do not define selves as multigen practitioners per se, but rather working with families across multiple generations • Use multigen lens in assessment & interventions (family group conferencing, kinship care legislation, life span respite)

19. Barriers to Multigen Practice • Fields of practice & services fragmented by age • Failure of aging, disability and mental health service systems to collaborate • Fragmentation of age-based categorical services –> turf –>cross-generational competition • Disciplinary specific education organized by age • Inadequate preparation of professionals

20. Barriers • Separation of individual/structural causes of problems • Practice/policy split • Potential misunderstanding: not arguing against all age-based services • Need for longitudinal research across life course

21. Multigenerational Transmission • Health behaviors, beliefs and values transmitted by families & communities across the life course • Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, depression, trauma, behavioral problems • Weathering toward poorer health in later life

22. Multigenerational Transmission • Risks for chronic conditions begin in childhood  structural factors (SES, education, race) across life course  health & economic disparities • Regardless of age, chronic disability increases the risk of poverty throughout the life course

23. Multigenerational transmission • Cross-generational influences on familial care practices, utilization of services & helping behaviors • Early childhood exchanges affect social support to aging parents • Positive interactions  transmission of strengths/ resiliency • Impact of neglect, abuse, conflict  negative caregiving patterns across multiple generations

24. Structured Inequities across the Life Course • Life course rather than age-based approach • Multigen interdependence across the life course • Common life course issues • Interplay between generational/cohort influences & economic & health disparities • Discrimination by age, race, gender, sexual orientation, SES & functional ability  inequities & structurally determined cumulative disadvantage across the life course, which are intensified in old age

25. Older Adults as Resources • Resiliency and empowerment • Strategies to enhance generational interdependence rather than independence • Multigen collaboration to address common problems (e.g., life span respite) • Redefine cross-generational contract not only currently, but also over time, to include more than two generations

26. Educational Implications: Infusion in foundation • Infusion of multigen content into 1st year MSW foundation courses • Pre and post tests of importance & extent to which students are competent in multigen practice • More interest in multigen than aging-related preparation & practice

27. Infusion: Common Multigen Learning Objectives • Understand complexity and reciprocity of multicultural, multigen dynamics across different populations, substantive areas & families and communities • Develop ability to bring a multigen, multicultural lens to their assessment of strengths of individuals, families & communities • Recognize how strengths & and challenges may be transmitted across generations

28. Educational Implications: Concentration • Advanced Multigen Studies: HBSE, Practice, Policy & Social Justice, & Practicum • Functional ability rather than age as basis for services • Common issues across the life course (caregiving, loss & grief, and trauma) • Inequities across the life course • Build on elders’ strengths to meet needs of younger & middle generations

29. Educational Implications: Multigen Policy • Examine multigen impacts of Social Security, Medicaid, Family & Medical Leave, National Family CG Support Program, TANF • Policies to address common needs across generations & reduce intergenerational competition (lifespan respite)

30. Educational Implications: Multigen Policy • Functional ability, not age based • Generational interdependence • Address how policies may discourage multigen ties • Coalition-building • Generations United

31. Implications for Research • Obesity & diabetes in Native Americans across the life course • The “invisible” middle generation • Cross-generational caregiving for GLBT • Intervention with families in transitional housing • Multigen analysis of state agencies

32. Summary • Effect of life events and social position (ageism, racism, sexism) on generation, cohort, intergen & multigen interactions • Multigen transmission and inequities across the life course • Strengths of elders, multigen ties • Multigen practice & policy interventions -> well being

33. Next steps • Further development of conceptual model • Infusion of multigen content into other advanced concentrations (health, mental health, substance abuse) • Your critique