Online Lightning Talks
Is Intergenerationality in Danger? : Key Insights of Digital Natives
Virtual Lightning Talk Paulo Guilherme Lourenço, Melchor Fernandez, M.Pilar Freire Espáris
The EU27 perception of Intergenerational Solidarity is one of the factors that contributed to the Declaration of 2012, European Year of Active Aging and Solidarity Between Generations. It is noteworthy from the Portuguese perception assessment (Flash Eurobarometer Intergenerational Solidarity) that young and older people do not agree easily on what is best for society and that, as older people work later, fewer jobs will be available for young people in the coming years. Portugal residents strongly agree (91%) of the lack of recognition by the State on the importance of the family's contribution to long-term care for the elderly. The Intergenerational Solidarity (IS) model by Bengtson & Robert (1991) suggests the existence of objective and subjective aspects of the exchange of resources between parents and children, which influence family relationships. In contrast, the literature proposes that the IS study should not focus exclusively on a single dimension. Intergenerational Ambivalence (Lüscher & Pillemer, 1998) approach that represents the continuous development of the relationships between parents and children is proposed. The quantitative results of the empirical study Factors and Dynamics of Informal Caregivers of Dependent Elderly, in a perspective of Intergenerationality, a case study in Setúbal, Portugal, with 993 students (cohort 16-19 years) suggests the existence of a low perception of IS. In turn, the combination with the qualitative method (Krueger & Casey, 2009) allows us to conclude the Focus Group's advantage to provide native digital generation insights into the motivations of future informal Baby-Boomers.
STEMming the Silver Tsunami: Maker Movement and Makerspaces for the Elderly Population in Hong Kong
Virtual Lightning Talk Thomas Hoi Fung Ng, Ni Juan Yan
Hong Kong, one of the most dynamic finance and business metropolis in the world, faces a demographic tsunami. In 2064, the projected elderly population will reach to more than one-third of the total population, whilst the number of young people will drop given the declining fertility trends below replacement rate. Numerous issues with an increasing elderly population include the rise of geriatric mental health problems and lower quality of life satisfaction. Literature indicates strong correlations between good social relations, having meaning/purpose in life, sense of community, social inclusion, creativity and participation in active learning, having protective effects against geriatric mental and physical illness and also contributing to predicting positive mental and physical health in elderly populations, as well as increasing quality of life (QOL) benchmarks in the elderly. The maker movement, a creative social-cultural employing do-it-yourself (DIY) and do-it-with-others (DIWO) trend amplified with a technological slant and makerspaces, collaborative workspaces for participants in the maker movement are ideal to engender and harness the power of the elderly and infuse them with purpose and creativity. The aim of this paper is directed towards policymakers as well as social entrepreneurs and warranting for the provision and support for a policy of implementing makerspaces to facilitate maker activities for the elderly population in Hong Kong and advocating for the beneficial effects of cultivating the ethos of maker culture amongst the elderly.
