Intergenerational Mobilities: Spatio-temporal and cultural intersections in ageing societies

Rapidly ageing societies face unprecedented challenges in shaping relationships within and between generations. Three phenomena characterize Italian society in the era of the so-called ‘demographic winter’: 1- population decline (4 million fewer Italians by 2050); 2- ageing population (the proportion of elderly people (aged 65+) will rise from the current 24.3% to 34.6% in 2050); 3- an increase in the percentage of the population with a migrant background and a consequent increase in cultural diversity. The last dimension is particularly sensitive: migration will be essential for the stability of the Italian social, territorial and economic system, but there is not enough awareness of its value, and indeed there is widespread opposition within public opinion. As suggested by anthropologist Tim Ingold in the 2023 book ‘The Rise and Fall of Generation Now’,  intergenerational relations can open a window for social dialogue, including intercultural dialogue. All these pressures set in motion dynamics of profound change, both spatial and cultural. Among these significant changes, those that will affect intergenerational relationships appear to be among the most relevant.

From many points of view, mobility is key to interpreting the reshaping of intergenerational relationships. In the more immediate dimension of physical mobility, the ageing of the population requires the adaptation of mobility infrastructure and modes of access to it. Pedestrian walkways, light mobility routes, public transport means, outdoor sport facilities are places where generations and their bodies meet and potentially clash. Forms of discrimination in access can affect both younger segments of the population (think of ‘child-free’ hotels and restaurants) and older segments (think of micromobility devices such as e-scooters, which are often associated with younger people). How and where can members of different generations meet? In many ways, it seems that we are moving towards a society of age-segregated spaces: play areas for children with restricted access; retirement homes for the elderly, which are unattractive to young people.

But this is only the first layer of mobility involved. Forms of intergenerational mobility also concern knowledge and memories. The rapid pace of technological change has undermined the authority of older people’s knowledge: it is the younger generations who teach their grandparents how to use new technologies. Technologies, on the other hand, can facilitate the elderly’s mobility and autonomy, allowing them to maintain active roles in society. At the same time, memory, in today’s fast-paced society, is even more precious and sought after: ‘once upon a time’ is evanescent and yet essential in reconstructing the thread of generational transitions, especially in an era of global changes. Even objects participate in this mobility: the death of elderly relatives becomes a crucial moment in the transition of both inheritance and the emotional sphere linked to objects. What will be saved and what will be thrown away?

Another dimension of mobility brought into play by the pressures mentioned above is intercultural mobility: the growth of the population with a migrant background implies a multiplication of different sensibilities, including about ageing and the role of different generations in the public domain. How will the intergenerational approach change in an increasingly multicultural society? Interconnected with the last two dimensions of meaning is the issue of collective memories and heritage and their role in the construction of complex cultural identities, starting from the assumption that heritage is a re-elaboration for current purposes of what we inherit from the past and put into play for present and future generations; questions arise concerning the ways in which heritage is mobilised through narratives, educational systems and tourism practices and how intergenerational dialogue is either strengthened or weakened through them.

National partnership

On these issues, the SOCIETY OF GEOGRAPHICAL STUDIES base in Florence (SSG), in collaboration with geographers from DiSSGeA and Dicea departments at UniPd, will organise a scientific event (Giornata di studio) in June 2027 entitled “Geography and Generations”. The aim is to focus, for the first time–in this field of study in Italy and with this attention and awareness of the rapidly changing demographic and cultural landscape– , on the various aspects of the ‘generational issue’, including social mobility, intergenerational justice, the abandonment of marginal  areas, and the impact on the form and uses of cities.

International partnership

Thanks to the relationships established by the MoHu Centre, there will also be an opportunity to carry out a highly relevant comparative analysis with another society characterised by rapid population ageing, such as South Korea. Moreover, how Korean society weaves respect for the elderly into the fabric of daily life, blending traditional values with modern interpretations of aging makes this collaboration particularly interesting. Dialogue with South Korean colleagues from the ACADEMY OF MOBILITY HUMANITIES OF THE KONKUK UNIVERSITY in Seoul will highlight the similarities and differences between the two socio-territorial contexts, hopefully laying the foundations for a broader picture in which to situate intergenerational mobility processes

DISSGEA participants

Andrea Pase

Benedetta Castiglioni

Mauro Varotto

Dario Nardini

Fabio De Lorenzo Smit, PhD student

Beatrice Negro, PhD student

Tanja Kremenic, postdoc

EXTERNAL participants

Jinhyoung Lee, Academy of Mobility Humanities at Konkuk University

Gianpiero Dalla Zuanna, Dipartimento di Scienze Statistiche, University of Padua

Massimo De Marchi, Dicea, University of Padua