Children's views of older people

Worldwide demographic change means that the responsibility for a growing older population will fall to younger generations. This narrative literature review comprises an international examination of what has been published about children’s views of older people between 1980 and 2011. Sixty nine academic papers were inductively analysed, and the emerging themes were: ageism; contact with older people; children’s media; children’s perceptions of older people; intergenerational studies; children’s perceptions of older people’s health conditions; and culture, ethnicity and worldwide studies. Reports about children’s views were influenced by research methods, the children’s familiarity with whom they were being asked to describe, their prior relationships with grandparents and other significant older people, and their stage of development. 80% of the papers were based on American research, and were often guided by a concern about ageism. While children adopt stereotypes, they do not appear to be ageist. Research needs to include a wider geographical and cultural spread of children; children’s understandings of the lived experiences of older people; and an exploration of the effects of culture, faith and socio-economic status on children’s views if it is to underpin effective education to equip the next generation to humanely support the older populations of the future.

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