Inter-generational interaction of elderly and young people: specifics of communication and image of old age

Abstract

Article is devoted to studying of an image of old age and an image of elderly people in modern youth, also in article the structure and content of inter-generational interaction is considered. Results revealed that in adolescence the positive, idealizedimage of old age prevails. As the main determinants of safe aging the immediate environment of the person is considered. The role of the state in ensuring safe aging is not considered. The received results find a contradiction between the image of old age and the image of elderly people. The image of old age and the image of elderly people differ in both the emotional relation, and the maintenance of image. The image of elderly person is extremely contradictory. Advanced age is considered through positive categories of wisdom, kindness, care, mind, patience and diligence. Difficulties and negative sides of aging are defined by categories of rate of activity (sluggishness), bad health and difficult character. Distinctions in the relation and content of representations of image of old age and image of elderly people can speak various natures of these phenomena. The image of old age which differs in idealized character can be considered as temporary prospect of person and the image of elderly people can be considered as social ideas of old age which main property is stereotypization. The ambivalent nature of social ideas of old age affects the character and the content of inter-generational communication. The analysis of structure and content of communication shows that elderly people have the low status in structure of inter-generational communications and are not included in many spheres of communication of youth. It is revealed that many areas of information space which are the main channels of transfer of experience act as "areas of alienation" for inter-generational communication. Social interrelations of youth are carried out more in horizontal (in space of peers), than in vertical space. Results find in young people a contradiction between the expectation to be included and significant in structure of inter-generational relationship in the image of old age and the place of elderly people in system of the real social relations.