intergenerationalen

Intergenerationalen is a term used in social sciences to describe phenomena, relationships, and processes that occur across generations. The term is related to the English intergenerational and is used in German- and multilingual discourse to denote interactions that span two or more generations within families, communities, and institutions. It encompasses how resources, values, norms, health, education, and opportunities are transmitted from older to younger cohorts and how these effects shape individual life courses and broader social structures.

Key concepts include intergenerational transmission of assets and risks (such as wealth, educational achievement, and health behaviors), intergenerational mobility (the movement of individuals between social strata across generations), and intergenerational solidarity or conflict, which reflect levels of cooperation or tension between age groups. The field studies how demographic change—such as aging populations and shifts in fertility—alters intergenerational relations, and how institutions like schools, welfare systems, and family policy influence these dynamics.

Intergenerationalen approaches inform programs and policy designed to strengthen cross-generational links, for example through mentoring, elder–youth service programs, or housing and care models that integrate multiple generations. Research methods include longitudinal and cross-national studies that track cohorts over time to measure transmission effects and policy impacts.

In practice, intergenerationalen initiatives and programs are evaluated on outcomes such as social cohesion, economic security, and health, while acknowledging cultural variation in family structures and attitudes toward aging.