Global Reflections
Reinforcing Intergenerational Solidarity in African Societies: A Social Work Perspective on Tradition, Disruption, and Renewal
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mpumelelo Ncube
This study explores the evolution of intergenerational solidarity in African societies, emphasising the impact of colonisation, modernity, and globalisation on traditional kinship structures. Historically, African communities prioritised intergenerational cohesion through communal living, indigenous knowledge transmission, and elder-led governance. However, the imposition of Western rationality, individualism, and economic pragmatism has eroded these systems, weakening traditional caregiving roles and disrupting intergenerational relationships. Using The Dialectic of Enlightenment as a theoretical lens, this paper critically examines how modernisation commodifies care, marginalises indigenous knowledge, and fosters cultural homogenisation. The concept of cocomelonisation is introduced to illustrate the global dominance of Western media in early childhood socialisation, further disconnecting younger generations from African epistemologies. The study employs critical discourse analysis and documentary review to assess these disruptions and their implications for social work practice. It argues for the reintegration of indigenous knowledge systems, the restoration of eldership in governance, and the mainstreaming of gerontology in social work education. By fostering critical consciousness, social workers can strengthen intergenerational bonds, ensuring enduring well-being. This paper underscores the need for socially transformative policies that balance modern advancements with African values, advocating for a human-centred approach to social work and community resilience.
Aging, Occupation and Gendering Migration: The Case of Indian Migration to Europe
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sadananda Sahoo
The Global North has been undergoing a critical phase of demographic challenge which poses a different level of migration challenge to the Global North. The aging population in many parts of Europe has already exerted significant impacts on the social, political, and economic landscape. It is already impacting the labour markets, public debt and sustainability of welfare system that is prevalent in many European countries. This paper relates the aging with international migration, especially how it impacts the migration from India to UK, Netherlands and Germany which are three major destination countries for Indian emigrants, especially students and professionals. The median age of these three countries is above 40 and the aging process and its impact will be much more intensified in the future. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the policy challenges arising out of independent female migrants to Europe in general and UK, Netherlands and Germany in specific. This paper relies on secondary sources such as various official reports and studies. It posits that independent female migration from India is relatively a recent phenomenon which will further intensify as the aging in Europe become a real issue affecting socio-economic life. Though the Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM) was endorsed at the EU-India Summit in 2016, there are many more gender specific areas that need further attention with regards to reskilling to integration of return migrants for a better migration experience in the time of demographic challenges.
Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Brazilian Version of the Caregiving Ambivalence Scale
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Heloisa Goncalves Ferreira
In contexts marked by demographic aging and growing intergenerational challenges, understanding the emotional dynamics of caregiving is essential to strengthening solidarity and resilience within families. The Caregiving Ambivalence Scale (CAS) is a 5-item Spanish instrument designed to assess ambivalent feelings in family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s Disease. This study aimed to adapt the CAS for use in Brazil, evaluating its semantic, conceptual, cultural, idiomatic, and psychometric equivalence. Two independent translations (Spanish–Portuguese) and back-translations (Portuguese–Spanish) were conducted. Conceptual, cultural, and idiomatic equivalence was evaluated by three experts, with Fleiss’ Kappa of 1.0. The Brazilian version was administered to 111 family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s, recruited online from all regions of Brazil. Participants answered the Brazilian version of CAS, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and DASS-21. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure with excellent fit indices (χ²/df = 1.13; CFI = .999; TLI = .998; RMSEA = .036) and strong composite reliability (CR = 0.88). Convergent validity was demonstrated through significant positive correlations with depression (rho = .554; p < .001), anxiety (rho = .404; p < .001), and stress (rho = .558; p < .001). The Brazilian CAS demonstrated semantic, conceptual, cultural, and idiomatic equivalence with the original version and robust psychometric properties. It is a valid and reliable tool for identifying ambivalence in family caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer’s and conducting cross-cultural studies. Its use can support early identification of emotional distress and guide culturally sensitive interventions that promote caregivers’ mental health, contributing to intergenerational well-being.
