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Generativity and Political Participation in Old Age: A Mixed Method Study of Spanish Elders Involved in Political Organisations

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Abstract

This study has dual aims. First, it aims to explore the relationship between generativity and political participation, a neglected aspect of civic participation. Second, using different dimensions of generativity in a mixed methods study, it also aims to contribute to the theoretical and methodological literature on generativity as a multidimensional concept relevant to later life. This Spanish study involved a large survey utilising three different measures of generativity—generative concern, generative goals, and perceived cultural demands—to look for differences between older people actively engaged in political organisations and a comparison group. Results showed that older people from the two groups differed on all dimensions of generativity. Participants in political organisations showed significantly higher scores on generative concern, reported more generative goals in the present and future, and noted more perceived generative demands than comparison individuals. Overall, our findings suggest that generativity plays a key role in political engagement in later life, and, further, that our understanding of generativity in later life gains from a multidimensional assessment of the concept.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the participants who generously offered their time during the course of this research.

Funding

This work was supported by Spain’s Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Reference PSI2013-43706-P. The first author of this manuscript was supported by an Endeavour Research Fellowship (Department of Education and Training, Australian Government, Reference 4329_2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cognition, Development, and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebrón 171, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    Rodrigo Serrat & Feliciano Villar

  2. John Richards Initiative, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga Campus, P O Box 821, Wodonga, VIC, 3689, Australia

    Jeni Warburton

  3. School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia

    Andrea Petriwskyj

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  1. Rodrigo Serrat
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  2. Feliciano Villar
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  3. Jeni Warburton
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  4. Andrea Petriwskyj
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Correspondence to Rodrigo Serrat.

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Serrat, R., Villar, F., Warburton, J. et al. Generativity and Political Participation in Old Age: A Mixed Method Study of Spanish Elders Involved in Political Organisations. J Adult Dev 24, 163–176 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-016-9255-4

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