Abstract
While divisive social forces such as racism, classism, and sexism receive considerable attention, ageism—prejudice and discrimination based on age—remains widely tolerated across workplaces, educational institutions, healthcare systems, media, politics, and everyday life. As societies become increasingly multigenerational, failing to address ageism risks fueling intergenerational mistrust, deepening misunderstanding and resentment, and exacerbating social polarization and inequity. The Aging Cluster’s ongoing curricular intergenerational community engagement, which facilitates weekly one-to-one interactions between students and older adults in community. However, important knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding the interpersonal mechanisms that foster meaningful intergenerational connections. This study will evaluate interpersonal processes and outcomes from student–older adult interactions and will use qualitative and AI-assisted analyses of audio and video recordings to identify the interpersonal mechanisms that facilitate or impede intergenerational relationship development. Findings will strengthen insight on intergenerational community engagement, elucidate mechanisms of intergenerational relationship formation, and inform future efforts to scale high-quality intergenerational programs that promote empathy and social cohesion.
Field
Social Welfare/Luskin School of Public Affairs, Psychology
Extramural Partners
Sages & Seekers, the Eisner Foundation, Annenberg GenSpace, Determined Health, Belmont Assisted Living
