Starting from Karl Mannheim and Mathilda Riley’s understanding of the relation between succession of generations, individual and societal development, the paper focuses on the cultural and individual potential of intergenerational dialog as an important component of education. The anthropological category of co-responsibility and the two psychological constructs of identity and generativity are used as the theoretical framework for intergenerational projects being reported. Based on empirical data it will be shown how intergenerational dialog might contribute to a growing mutual understanding between generations and the differentiation of national and cultural identity even in countries which experienced political and cultural upheavals in the last two decades.

Schlagworte
dialog of generations, education, identity, generativity