Ambivalence: A “Sensitizing Construct” for the Study and Practice of Intergenerational Relationships

Abstract

In recent years the idea of ambivalence has found rising attention in the field of intergenerational relationships studies and practice. It allows one to consider the contradictory dynamics of conflict and solidarity. Starting from the everyday usage of the term, an elaborated definition of ambivalence is developed that includes most of the applications in research and in practice. Before this background, it is suggested to generate for future theoretical and practical work with ambivalence the notion of a “sensitizing construct.”

Keywords:

• ambivalence
• generational conflict
• intergenerational solidarity
• generational policy
• socialization
• methodology

Acknowledgments

Editors' note: The editors thank Kurt Lüscher for his contribution of this invited paper.

This article was supported by funds made available by the Cultural Foundations of Integration Center of Excellence at the University of Konstanz, established in the framework of the German Federal and State Initiative of Excellence. I thank Andreas Hoff for critical comments, David Brenner for editorial support in English, and Caroline Johnen for general assistance in the project.

Notes

1. The instruments, in German and in English, of the Konstanz studies and a deeper discussion of the module are available from the author.

2. Here is a reference to a trilingual compendium (German, French, English) on “Generations, Intergenerational Relationships and Generational Policy,” published by the Swiss Academy of the Humanities and the Social Sciences. Additional version in Spanish and Italian are in preparation. For downloads see: http://www.kurtluescher.de.