We developed a Sense of Respect towards the Elderly among Adolescents Scale extending the work of the Filial Piety Scale (TOYOSHIMA et al. 2011) and the Social Norm Scale (GALLOIS et al. 1999). The refining and further development of scales to measure and understand the feelings of those participating is important in facilitating and fostering co-operative educational opportunities in intergenerational programs. We used a self-administered survey with 190 students (88 boys and 102 girls) registered at a junior high school in Yokohama, and performed factor analysis using Promax rotation, adopting 18 items consisting of 2 factors. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient was .80 for the whole scale. The first sub-scale showed .85 in Respectful Attitudes Toward the Elderly and the second sub-scale showed .64 in Respectful Actions Toward the Elderly. Additionally, overall reliability, content validity and criterion-referenced validity were confirmed. We argue that the new scale we developed can be used/will be useful in future intergenerational research projects.

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[in Japanese]

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This study aimed to explore factors that facilitate or hinder the continuation of volunteer activities among elderly with health problems in Japan. We conducted in-depth interviews with 10 elderly volunteers who have health problems and 13 teachers who work with these 10 elderly volunteers at their respective schools. These elderly volunteers engage in reading picture books to school children. Our findings suggested that teachers expect these elderly volunteers to continue volunteering as long as possible for educational purposes. They consider the elderly volunteers as an important learning source for the children, in furthering their understanding of age and ageing. Our findings also indicated the elderly volunteers' confidence in, and desire to continue volunteer activities were more heavily influenced by their definition of volunteering, perceived support from other volunteer members, and their perceptions about meanings of old age. We also discovered that a strong network of support existed between the volunteers themselves, which was key to their continued participation in volunteer activities. We recommend a training program that fosters mutual support within the volunteer group, with a secondary focus on education and communication skills. This would facilitate a better working relationship among the volunteers and foster a better volunteering environment.

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The purpose of this study was to reveal the causal relationship between generativity and generative acts. We conducted a longitudinal survey with 400 elderly people. The sample had a mean age of 71.92. We tested using a cross-lagged effect model multi-group analysis. The result showed that both the causal paths were significant for males, whereas only the causal path from generative act to generativity was significant for females. This study indicates that opportunities to participate in intergenerational activities will lead to the development of generativity.

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This study examines the relationships between elderly participation in local intergenerational programs and the development of social capital (network, trust and normative). Questionnaires were administered to 130 older people (over 60years) from A City in Chiba prefecture. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test revealed that the elderly who participated in local intergenerational programs (School support volunteer, Aged care volunteer, Child care volunteer, Festival support, Tradition, Culture and Heritage Sharing activities) enjoyed more positive relationships in terms of networking, trust and normative scales. This result underlines the importance of establishing inter-generational programs for the elderly in order to generate social capital in local communities.

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A disconnect and decrease in intergenerational exchange is evident in households and the community. The aging population, combined with dropping birth rates has led to changes in ideas about lifestyles and dramatically influenced the shape and development of families and communities. This paper focusses on exchanges between grandparents who have knowledge of lives before WWII, and grandchildren who were born post WWII. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of the magazine ‘Intergenerational Exchange with Elderly, Youth and Children' (Issues 1-7), in order to understand each generation' s ideas and philosophies about life. The magazine was published from 2000 to 2007 and was concerned with the results of the Intergenerational Exchange Project which focused on linking generations together. The project saw Shinshu University students engage in dialogue with their grandparents. Through these opportunities, a wider knowledge was gained of all aspects of life during the war, including education, society, and law. Participants gained a sense of history and an understanding of asset development and how families and communities are involved in the process. Additionally a deeper understanding of peace was an important outcome of the intergenerational dialogue and exchange.

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This study aimed at developing a Japanese version of generativity scale, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of intergenerational exchange programs. This scale was developed with reference to the Hopkins Generativity Index. In the pre-study, we created a shorter version of the scale that consisted of 4 items and 4 scales. Using factor analysis, we confirmed that all factors of the Cronbach a coefficient had values greater than 0.85. Based on the pre-study, we conducted a random mail survey for 3,000 community-dwelling elderly in Nagahama-City, Shiga Prefecture. We obtained 2092 valid responses (M: 1114, F: 878), and mean age was 71.8 years (± 7.6).Using exploratory factor analysis, we confirmed that the degree of this standard was good (GFI=0.933, AGFI=0.904, RMSEA = 0.075). Furthermore, I confirmed the coexistence validity with the existing standard. In this study, I created the short version of the generativity scale (all 16 items). Further study will be necessary to examine the reliability and validity of this scale to see whether it is suitable and effective in the evaluation of intergenerational programs for the elderly.

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This paper focused on the process of learning by students aiming to be specialist nursery school teachers. I investigated from the perspective of art activities. I chose a molding activity as my case study, which was conducted as a part of the cross-training program. Behavioral observation of students’ activities and qualitative analysis of free descriptions in training records indicated the following results. Students learned molding (expressive) techniques; as well as techniques for supporting children and the elderly. They also learnt how to facilitate and positively influence relationships between children and the elderly. In particular, acquiring the techniques for supporting elderly people could not have been accomplished in previous training programs that only focused on supporting infants. Understanding the dynamics of relationships with the elderly represented new learning content for the students. However, this training is highly important for current Japanese society.

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This research reports on what students in the nursery teacher training course learned to teach as a nature observation activity. The Nature Game was carried out as a part of the Cross-training Program in the Child-Senior Integrated Institution. We evaluated the experiences of the 8 nursery teacher trainees who participated in this program. We analyzed and considered training records and bingo game cards made by the trainees. Our research revealed that the language choices made by trainees in their efforts to express themselves included using parts of the body, using examples related to the five senses, and using experiences and knowledge common to both children and the elderly. We also found that the pace at which participants worked and ensuring effective communication were important issues when implementing the game.

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This paper focusses on the REPRINTS picture book reading program as a tool for initiating effective intergenerational exchange, comparing and contrasting with intergenerational tools utilized in other programs. Reading picture books is one way for Japan’s elderly to be involved in continuous volunteer work, predominantly at elementary schools. It represents a method which is attractive to both the elderly and children, and it lends itself to flexibility and innovation when applied in various situations. On the other hand, it is a tool that does have a number of limitations. This paper introduces current approaches in order to evaluate whether it is feasible to make the tool accessible to a wider age-range of children.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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