Intergenerational practice brings young and old people together with the aim of improving social relations. Over the last twenty years proponents in the UK have pursued policy changes in support of making these new connections along the life course. This research examined such developments in the City of Manchester during the latter half of that period, and focused on the implementation of Generations Together!, a programme funded by national government. The study reports on a mixed methods qualitative design structured through two case studies. One was based around the central domain of city policy-making, the other on the view from Gorton. a deprived neighbourhood in east Manchester. A critical review of the literature concerning generational consciousness and the life-course suggested that policies in favour of age integration can offer a challenging framework for both structural and relational change. A second review, of the literature relating to the evaluation of intergenerational practice in the UK, indicated the need to better understand intergenerationality in everyday community life. Documentary analysis suggests that Manchester moved somewhat abruptly from a collaborative linking of policy and practice to an approach focused on commissioning more target-driven work. In the field, over an eight-month period, data was gathered through observation, and by over 40 semi-structured interviews. Fieldwork in Gorton examined the impact of interventionist practice alongside the ongoing activities of small associations, and indicated the value of a community development approach to deploying a centrally-coordinated initiative to accomplish locally-determined goals. The thesis advances the concept of reflexive seniority to identify the task older people face in accommodating new demands within the time-bound constraints of identity in later life. It offers a four-fold typology of generational exchange for which different practice responses would be required. Policy responses for Manchester and proposals for more extensive future research are outlined.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:699663 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Miles, John |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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