Outcome
Building bridges between generations
Places where generations meet
Every generation has different places where they like to be and meet their friends. The older generation like to be at home and doesn´t go out as frequently as the younger does. In contrast to this, the younger generation prefers to be in a bar. As a result of this there are some places where mainly young people are and also some where just the older generation is.
But there are also plenty of places where all of the generation get mixed together and interact with each other. For example in a restaurant or a tavern. This is a place where old and young are represented, because there you can go with your whole family and sit on one table together.
But there are also other places like a park, where every generation likes to go, because everyone likes to go out in the nature and you can communicate with every person, whether young or old.
In Austria, the generations meet in clubs, especially in the music club and the volunteer fire brigade and have to work together there to keep the clubs up.
In all this places the several generations do things together and the gap between young and old get smaller.
Also, the Hobbies of each generation are mainly different. For example, the majority of the older generation likes a bit calmer hobbies, like reading and so on. The young generation has different interests than the old generation, because they often like playing computer games, doing all sorts of sports or many also play an instrument.
Sometimes the interests are different, but there are a lot of hobbies that do all generations together, like meeting friends. Also, the majority of people in Austria no matter what age like football
Talks between generations
There is less and less talk between generations these days. On the one hand, this is due to various prejudices on the part of the individual peer groups. Older generations mostly think that you cannot rely on the younger age groups. In contrast, the prevailing opinion among young people is that the old people get upset about everything. Language is also a reason for the widening gap between the generations. While the grandparents and partly the parents still mostly speak the regional dialect, the younger ones have developed their own language, which is characterized by foreign words, especially words from English, and by youth words such as "alter". With the development of technology, the gaps in understanding between the older and younger generations have increased.
Conversations between parents, grandparents and children are often different from those between people of the same age. Topics about which the older generations often talk to younger are experiences from their lives. They then tell of formative events from their youth or childhood, such as a vacation. School, work and food are often topics of conversation. However, the most common chat is probably about the events of the current or the previous day. Subjects that are not so common in intergenerational conversations are themes that involve electronic media, such as various TV series, video games, or music.
It is also striking that cross-generational discussions, in contrast to conversations between adolescents or between older people, which are often characterized by irony and sarcasm, show a certain mutual respect
Attitude to learning
When it comes to learning, there are also big differences between the age groups. Older generations, mainly the grandparents and partly also the parents, grew up in a time with a lot of learning and work discipline, not only at work but also at school. In contrast to today's youth, many left schools after compulsory school attendance and started an apprenticeship. Young people today are not as attentive and willing to learn as the people formerly. Compared to the past, the learning environment has also been adapted to the times, which means less rigor and increasing integration of electronic devices in the classrooms.
The use of the internet is one of the main factors which separate the older generation from us. In the 21st century there was such an immense development in the field of technology, that most of our grandparents gave up learning and did not even try to understand these things, which caused, that the gap between old and young have increased dramatically.
An obvious solution would be to make our grandparents familiar with the internet and its possibilities by ourselves. That would also have the benefit that the communication between the generations would increase while explaining and, when the older generation gets the technical knowledge, through a messenger like WhatsApp. The latter could simplify the contact, because many children live far away from their parents. Another instrument against isolation of the elderly.
The possibilities nowadays, which offer the internet, could have enormous advantages for the older generation. For example, disabled older people would be able to shop online. A smart assistant could make everyday life much easier and stress-free for them. Elderly people wouldn’t be so dependent on the young ones and could live on their own longer.
The information through the various internet sites could also contribute to a better understanding between the generations. In my opinion the adult education in this sector should be encouraged. This would simplify the mutual understanding between different generations. Maybe then, they would be able to understand, why the younger generation spends so much time surfing with their mobile phones.
Television
Television is one of the sectors where the difference between old and young can be overcome.
Of course, younger people have other interests than the older people do, but there are some TV programs that can connect them. Quiz shows are the best example. Here the knowledge of the elderly and the youngsters complements one another.
In addition, the television makes old and young spend time together, to watch TV together and then discuss the seen from different viewing angles from the different generations.
Report for Mobility Tool
• Who were the participants in the activity (including local participants)?
• How was this activity related to or integrated with the normal activities of the involved schools?
• Meeting in Elbląg (Poland) took part between 13 and 17 January 2020, entitled ‘Bridging the generation gap’. To prepare the event the team decided to change a little bit previous activities into the ones which seemed to be more vivid and interesting for participating team.
Each team was to prepare a presentation which contained information about students research about:
- the most frequent meetings of generations
- conversations about generations
- hobbies
- learning new skills
- politics
- The Internet
- television
- arguments
As well as prepare to solve particular problems connected with:
- different political opinions
- attitude to fashion
- patriotism vs. cosmopolitism
- addiction to electronic media
Each team presented their opinions during the first day in school and they were widely discussed with many questions asked. It unveiled cultural differences among nations but simultaneously let us better understand each other.
During the workshops all participants were divided into 4 teams which task was to analyze, discuss and prepare a video in which the problem and its solution will be shown. Then each team had to present their way to each solution, highlight differences in opinions and other possible solutions with their consequences .
During presentations of the results members of each team stressed their efforts to overcome found obstacles and differences in opinions. Those, who took part of members of older generations underlined understanding of their parents and grandparents points of view. Another outcomes are connected with group work – we appreciated chosen leaders and engagement of other members. Command of English grew, which must be also mentioned. Staying in polish families, touch of the unique culture was the element which not would be forgotten. Good basis for friendship was laid in Elbląg.
• The participants were 16 students (4 from each state) from Austria, Basque Country, The Netherlands and Sweden as well as 20 members of the Erasmus + team from III Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Jana Pawła II in Elbląg. All were students from secondary schools (age 16-19). In the meeting also took part 3 teachers from Austria, 2 from Basque Country, 2 from The Netherlands, 3 from Sweden and 6 from Poland. Here is a list of students:
Austria: Tobias Dick, Silvio Mair, Patrick Scheiterbauer, Nic Zechmeister
Basque Country: Iker Garcia, Pablo Dafonte, Ainara Huesca, Yaiza Dosuna,
The Netherlands: Evy Middelkoop, Franka Wiekens, Nadine Snijder , Noa Middelkoop
Sweden: Sebastian Näslund, Tova Johansson, Nadja Melin Säbom, Maja Kullman
Poland: Tyfert Iza, Mostowiec Zuzanna , Maciejko Szymon, Sypniewska Aleksandra, Adrian Straszkiewicz , Kacper Zieliński, Agata Mystkowska , Karolina Leszczyńska, Puławska Marta, Gross Aleksandra, Szarag Kinga, Branicka Zuzanna , Aleks Justyński, Kasia Mierzwa, Kołodziejczyk Julia ,
Leśniewska Maria, Kiwilsza Dominika, Natalia Włodarczyk, Polakowska Martyna, Bartkowska Julia.
List of teachers: Peter Beham, Karin Kislinger, Angerer-Buchegger Gaby, Miren Begoña Lozano, Mercedes Beltran, Annemiek Dijhuizen, Robin Bakker, Ursula Sandin Gullander , Mattias Bergström, Vivi Östergren, Tomasz Stężała, Aleksandra Trochimczuk, Małgorzata Kujawska, Dorota Zakrzewska, Anna Lasek, Beata Orzech, Paweł Banach.
• As the school is not big (number of students is about 420) and 20 students with a few teachers were strongly and directly involved in the activity, some changes were included in the school’s curriculum to avoid losing classes by teachers and students. A library and the classroom no 15 were subordinated for the needs of the programme; replacements for the involved teachers were foreseen. All our activities were smoothly integrated into the curriculum of the III Liceum. The foreign students and teachers had opportunity to take part in polish lessons and the Poles had a chance to meet and talk to the foreigners.
• As mentioned before, I can describe benefits of the involved participants in such areas:
- gaining a different perspective on the problems of differences between generations, which translates into acquiring the ability to understand other points of view, greater intuition when talking about important problems, acquiring empathy and finally negotiating skills.
- better understanding cultural differences between the Poles and other nations and finding keys in mutual understanding and cooperation
- acquiring team work skills
- greater command of English, especially among Polish students
- sightseeing towns of northern Poland, learning about rich history, culture and everyday life
- building basis for friendship and European attitude based on acceptation of all those beautiful differences
- giving personal satisfaction and joy of being a member of local Erasmus + team
Erasmus project Poland
On Tuesday the project started at 8 am where all participants met in the school library. After the introduction of the headmistress and some other Polish teachers, we students were allowed to go to the lesson with our Polish host and have a look at how school works in Poland. After that, each country held their presentation about the given topic of ‘building bridges between generations ‘and discussed it with the other countries. Then we had a small break where we got to try traditional polish snacks. Later we got divided into 4 groups where we prepared for the project of producing a small video clip to show and solve a conflict between different generations and shortly after that we set up for visiting the Old Town and the local museum. Subsequently we all had free time and were allowed to do whatever we wanted to.
At 8 o’clock in the morning we started from school to the former concentration camp “Stutthof”. There we could walk on ourselves through the area and could let the historical impressions work on us. Very interesting were the numerous documents of the former inmates. After “Stutthof we made a detour to the Baltic Sea coast, to a village named “Stegna”. Of course, it was too cold to go for a swim, but we went down the beach and took some photos, which will be great memories of the Erasmus week in Poland. Next destination was the city Danzig, or how the polish people call it, “Gdansk”. At first, we visited the famous amber museum and the Artus Court Museum, then we had time on our own till 3 o’clock. We used it to see the old town and to have a lunchbreak. After our return from Danzig, we used the free time in Elblag to go ice skating with our hosts.
On Thursday morning, all students went to school with their hosts to see a typical class hour. Everyone got a different impression because not everyone had the same subject. Still, all of the students were impressed with how the lessons went. Then everyone met again in the library to find their group with whom they shot the little sketch. Each group had two hours to film a sketch about "Building bridges between generations". When this was done, all the groups met for presentation in the library, where each grouping had to present their films and say a few words about the background. Afterwards there was lunch at school and pierogi were prepared.
After we had finished the presentations of the films and the short meal at school, we set off for Malbork at about quarter past twelve by bus. A medieval Order Castle of the Teutonic Order was built in this Polish city in the 13th century. During the guided tour of the spacious castle complex, which represents the largest brick building in Europe, we looked at the strong external fortifications. In places up to four walls surround the castle. However, it was more interesting to look at the pre-castle, the middle castle and the high castle with the famous Marienkirche. The Marienkirche was named after Saint Maria, the patron saint of Malbork. Around 60 percent of the castle was destroyed during the Second World War, but the subsequent renovation work has only recently been completed. At about 4 a.m. we went back to Elblag and in the evening we all met again for a Party.