Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

A Young Generation Under Pressure? pp 169–185Cite as

Age Groups and Generations: Lines of Conflict and Potentials for Integration

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

Abstract

The “rush hour” of life may be regarded as a manifestation of cleavages between age groups or generations. Cleavages inherent in social structure create the potential for conflicts; whether and to what extent these conflicts manifest themselves openly depends on the mobilisation of the actors on both sides of the rift. However, there are also links which reach across the cleavages. In our societies marked by demographic discontinuity, we heavily depend on these links in order to maintain societal integration. They are created by a range of institutions, above all, political institutions such as parties and unions on the one hand and families on the other. The potential for generational integration is threatened, though, by the current changes in social structure and the welfare state. This chapter will treat both the cleavages and the potentials for their integration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    See Albertini et al. (2007) for a more detailed analysis. Figures 9.3 and 9.4 are based on SHARE Wave 1 (2004), release 1. This release is preliminary and may contain errors, which will be corrected in later releases. The SHARE data collection has been primarily funded by the European Commission through the 5th Framework Programme (Project QLK6-CT-2001–00360 in the thematic programme Quality of Life). Additional funding came from the US National Institute on Aging (U01 AG09740–13 S2, P01 AG005842, P01 AG08291, P30 AG12815, Y1-AG-4553–01 and OGHA 04–064). Data collection in Austria (through the Austrian Science Fund, FWF), Belgium (through the Belgian Science Policy Office) and Switzerland (through BBW/OFES/UFES) was nationally funded. The SHARE data set is introduced in Börsch-Supan et al. (2005); methodological details are reported in Börsch-Supan and Jürges (2005).

References

  • Albertini M, Kohli M, Vogel C (2007) Intergenerational transfers of time and money in European families: common patterns–different regimes?. J Eur Soc Pol 17(4/2007):319–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Bengtson VL (1993) Is the “contract across generations” changing? Effects of population ageing on obligations and expectations across age groups. In: Bengtson VL, Achenbaum WA (eds) The changing contract across generations. Aldine de Gruyter, New York, pp 3–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Binstock RH (2000) Older people and voting participation: past and future. Gerontol 40(1/2000):18–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Börsch-Supan A, Jürges H (eds) (2005) The survey of health, ageing and retirement in Europe – methodology. MEA, Mannheim

    Google Scholar 

  • Börsch-Supan A et al (eds) (2005) Health, ageing and retirement in Europe: first results from SHARE. MEA, Mannheim

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniels N (1988) Am I my parents’ keeper? An essay on justice between the old and the young. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Easterlin RA (1980) Birth and fortune: The impact of numbers on personal welfare. Basic Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehmer J (2000) Ökonomische Transfers und emotionale Bindungen in den Generationenbeziehungen des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts. In: Kohli M, Szydlik M (eds) Generationen in Familie und Gesellschaft. Leske+Budrich, Opladen, pp 77–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Elder GH Jr (1974) Children of the great depression: social change in life experience. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Esping-Andersen G, Sarasa S (2002) The generational contract reconsidered. J Eur Soc Pol 12(1/2002):5–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Esping-Andersen G et al (2002) Why we need a new welfare state. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Förster M, Mira d'Ercole M (2005) Income distribution and poverty in OECD countries in the second half of the 1990s. In: OECD social employment and migration working papers 22. OECD, Paris. http://ideas.repec.org/p/oec/elsaab/22-en.html (16.07.2008)

  • Giarrusso R, Bengtson VL, Stallings M (1994) The “Intergenerational Stake” hypothesis revisited: parent-child differences in perceptions of relationships 20 years later. In: Vern LB, Warner Schaie K, Burton LM (eds) Adult intergenerational relations. Springer, New York, pp 227–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Hernes HM (1987) Welfare state and women power. Norwegian University Press, Oslo

    Google Scholar 

  • Hicks P (2001) Public support for retirement income reform. OECD labour market and social policy occasional papers no. 55. http://ideas.repec.org/p/oec/elsaaa/55-en.html (16.07.2008)

  • Kaufmann F-X (2005) Gibt es einen Generationenvertrag? In: Kaufmann F-X (ed) Sozialpolitik und Sozialstaat: Soziologische Analysen, 2nd ed. Wiesbaden: VS (1st edition 2002), pp 161–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohl J (2003) Citizens’ opinions on the transition from work to retirement. Paper for the ISSA 4th International Research Conference on Social Security in a Long Life Society, Antwerp

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M (1987) Retirement and the moral economy: an historical interpretation of the German Case. J Aging Stud 1(2/1987):125–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M (1999) Private and public transfers between generations: linking the family and the state. Eur Soc 1(1/1999):81–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M (2006) Aging and justice. In: Binstock RH, George LK (eds) Handbook of aging and the social sciences, 6th edn. Academic Press, San Diego, CA (1st edn 1981), pp 456–478

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M (2007) The institutionalization of the life course: looking back to look ahead. Res Hum Dev 4 (3-4/2007):253–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M, Künemund H (eds) (2005) Die zweite Lebenshälfte. Gesellschaftliche Lage und Partizipation im Spiegel des Alters-Survey (2, erweiterte Auflage). VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M, Neckel S, Wolf J (1999) Krieg der Generationen? Die politische Macht der Älteren. In: Niederfranke A, Naegele G, Frahm E (eds) Funkkolleg Altern, Bd. 2. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen, pp 479–514

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M, Künemund H, Motel A, Szydlik M (2000) Grunddaten zur Lebenssituation der 40–85 jährigen deutschen Bevölkerung. Ergebnisse des Alters-Survey. Weißensee, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli M, Künemund H, Vogel (2009) Giving and receiving: the balance of intergenerational exchange. Poster presented at the Geront Soc Am 62nd Annual Sc Meeting, Atlanta, GA, Nov 18–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebig S, Lengfeld H, Mau S (2004) Einleitung: Gesellschaftliche Verteilungsprobleme und der Beitrag der soziologischen Gerechtigkeitsforschung. In: Liebig S, Lengfeld H, Mau S (eds) Verteilungsprobleme und Gerechtigkeit in modernen Gesellschaften. Frankfurt/M: Campus, pp 7–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Low BS (1998) The evolution of human life histories. In: Crawford C, Krebs DL (eds) Handbook of evolutionary psychology: ideas, issues, and applications. Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp 131–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Mannheim K (1928) Das Problem der Generationen. Kölner Vierjahrshefte für Soziologie 7(2-3/1928):157–185, 309–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirowsky J, Ross CE (1999) Economic hardship across the life course. Am Soc Rev 64(4/1999):548–569

    Google Scholar 

  • Preston SH (1984) Children and the elderly: divergent paths for America’s dependents. Demography 21(4/1984):435–457

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scherger S, Kohli M (2005) Eine Gesellschaft – zwei Vergangenheiten? Historische Ereignisse und kollektives Gedächtnis in Ost- und Westdeutschland. BIOS – Zeitschrift für Biographieforschung, Oral History und Lebensverlaufsanalysen 18 (1/2005):3–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinn H-W, Uebelmesser S (2002) Pensions and the path to gerontocracy in Germany. Eur J Pol Econ 19(1/2003):153–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson D (1989) Selfish generations: the ageing of the welfare state. Allen & Unwin, Wellington

    Google Scholar 

  • Uhlenberg P (2009) Children in an aging society. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 64B(4/2009):489–496

    Google Scholar 

  • Wohl R (1979) The generation of 1914. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf J, Kohli M, Künemund H (eds) (1994) Alter und gewerkschaftliche Politik. Auf dem Weg zur Rentnergewerkschaft? Bund-Verlag, Köln

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. European University Institute, Florence, Italy

    Martin Kohli

Authors
  1. Martin Kohli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Kohli .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Generationen (SRzG), Stiftung für die Rechte zukünftiger, Ludwig-Erhard-Str. 16a, Oberursel, 61440, Germany

    Joerg Tremmel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Kohli, M. (2010). Age Groups and Generations: Lines of Conflict and Potentials for Integration. In: Tremmel, J. (eds) A Young Generation Under Pressure?. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03483-1_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation