Jaco Hoffman

Citizenship, belonging and intergenerational relations in African migration

Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors Introduction: Citizenship, Belonging and Intergenerational Relations in African Migration J.Cook & J.Hoffman African Migration in its National and Global Context J.Barou, P.Aigner & B.Mbenga From Generation to Generation: Changing Family Relations, Citizenship and Belonging C.Attias-Donfut & L.Waite Typical Migration Stories: Comparing Trajectories of African Migration V.Roos, J.Cook, S.Aouici, R.Gallou & P.Aigner Country Monographs: France J.Barou Country Monographs: Britain L.Waite & P.Aigner Country Monographs: Post-Apartheid South Africa I.Kalule-Sabiti, A .Yaw Amoateng, B.Mbenga & J.Hoffman Understanding African Migration: Intergenerational Relations, Citizenship and Belonging in a Comparative Context C.Attias-Donfut, J.Cook & J.Hoffman References Bibliography

Families, Intergenerational Bonds, and Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa

Cette note de recherche propose une justification, et offre un ensemble de paramètres initiaux, pour un effort explicite de forger une politique et une gérontologie de famille scientifiquement pertinentes à l’Afrique. Il se fonde sur une évaluation critique des discours politiques dominants dans la région et les efforts de recherche existants concernant les familles et le vieillissement, en particulier en Afrique sub-saharienne (ASS). This Research Note proposes a rationale, and offers a set of initial parameters, for an explicit effort to forge a policy and scientifically relevant family gerontology for Africa. It builds on a critical appraisal of dominant policy discourses in the region and existing research efforts on families and aging, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa.

International Handbook on Ageing and Public Policy

With the collective knowledge of expert contributors in the field, The International Handbook on Ageing and Public Policy explores the challenges arising from the ageing of populations across the globe. With an expansive look at the topic, this comprehensive Handbook examines various national state approaches to welfare provisions for older people and highlights alternatives based around the voluntary and third-party sector, families and private initiatives. Each of these issues are broken down further and split into six comprehensive sections: Context Pensions Health Welfare Case Studies Policy Innovation and Civil Society Academics interested in policy challenges for mature societies will find this Handbook a highly relevant reference tool. It also offers an important message for policy makers and practitioners in the field of public policy.

Country Monographs: Post-Apartheid South Africa

Historically, South Africa has relied on foreign migrant workers for its industrial and general economic development; this is especially true for the migration of workers from other parts of Africa (Davies and Head, 1995). In fact, the analysis of census data since 1911 has shown that about 6 per cent of the country’s population comprised non-South Africans from the region. In 1961, for example, there were 836,000 regional migrants in the country (Peberdy, 1997). Meanwhile, consistent with the racist orientation of the country’s immigration policy, the government welcomed whites from neighbouring states in Southern Africa who felt threatened by black majority rule (Crush, 2000). Between 1960 and 1980, for instance, skilled and semi-skilled white migrants from Zambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe were given citizenship to boost the local ‘white’ population (Peberdy, 1997). It was within this context of South Africa’s conflicting immigration regimes that Crush and McDonald (2001) noted that the country’s twentieth-century immigration policies under white rule were racist,1 exploiting migrant labour from neighbouring countries and repudiating international refugee conventions.

Understanding African Migration: Intergenerational Relations, Citizenship and Belonging in a Comparative Context

Uniquely this book set out to explore African migration from an intergenerational perspective in the context of its south-north as well as its south-south trajectories where ‘south’ arbitrarily but unambiguously refers to the African continent and ‘north’ to the UK and France (see Blakewell (2009) for a detailed critical discussion on the south-north categorisation). It does so from the lived experiences of two-generational migrant families and how they negotiate belonging and citizenship. Linking these macro-level migration trajectories and their respective subsequent migration regimes with the micro-level intergenerational lived experiences of the respondents provides a deeper understanding of the dynamics of global migration and its related settlement experiences and familial relationships.

Intergenerational Strategies for Promoting Lifelong Learning and Education

This chapter highlights the relational nature of learning and especially notes that through education, intended intergenerational practices have great potential to foster sustainable relationships in society. Examples of international intergenerational programs focused on lifelong learning and education in countries as different as Germany, India, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and U.S. are presented as pathways to combat the following three main threats to sustainable societies: cultural discontinuity, lack of trust, and the increasing challenges to living in diverse contexts. Special attention is paid to the move from multi-generational learning and education contexts to intended intergenerational endeavors at all levels. Purposeful efforts are made to facilitate interaction between generations to enhance learning and education. The traditional paradox in evidence is that most of our school systems consist of age-segregated classrooms while a community of teachers, families and students from different generations are living side by side. This phenomenon is highlighted. In order to illustrate how this paradox may be solved, we present a few cases of international intergenerational initiatives carried out in educational settings where generations meet purposefully to teach and learn together across the lifespan.

Intergenerational Strategies for Sustaining Strong Communities

This chapter explores intergenerational pathways for strengthening and sustaining communities. Distinctions are made between “mono-generational,” “multi-generational” and intergenerational conceptions of community and community development.

Research Integrity and the Mmogo-method: Some Reflections

The aim of this chapter is to reflect on the rigour and ethical practices of the Mmogo-method. The departure point for this reflection is an ethics of care approach which is relationally, contextually and situationally attuned. It is argued that such an approach enables a more nuanced outcome situated within the contexts in which ethical issues arise and have to be addressed. The chapter highlights the importance of contextually appropriate ethical actions, ongoing negotiation and decision-making while taking into account concerns for trustworthiness. It proceeds to explore the core concerns as they relate to the integrity of the research process, the researcher and the research participants in terms of the Mmogo-method specifically, while presenting some critical reflections.

Intergenerational Approaches for Sustaining Individual Health and Well-being

This chapter explores several “pathways” through which intergenerational programs and practices contribute to health and well-being across the lifespan. It begins with a review of some foundational concepts that lend support, as well as help set the parameters, for intergenerational interventions that promote physical activity, healthy eating practices, and other lifestyle behaviors that have a bearing on physical and mental health. Another theme explores program impact on how older adults perceive themselves, particularly with regard to whether they adopt positive or negative cognitive scripts associated with aging. This discussion is informed by social psychological research into the relationship between self-perception and health. Intergenerational program examples are presented which aim to reduce the actual and perceived loneliness that many older adults experience, and provide them with meaningful social roles and a greater sense of purpose in life. Particular emphasis is placed on intergenerational models designed to provide social, emotional, and instrumental support for individuals who live in vulnerable situations and with unmet needs for assistance.

Intergenerational Strategies for Preserving and Appreciating the Natural Environment

This chapter explores several pathways through which intergenerational programs and practices can help to sustain and preserve the natural environment. At the root of these initiatives is a three-part rationale. From an environmental protection perspective, inclusion of an intergenerational component helps to broaden the pool of people who care and are knowledgeable about the natural environment, and who have the skills to take effective action to sustain it. Second, the intergenerational component can be structured in ways that infuse more information, discussion, reflection, and sense of relevance into the environmental learning experience. In addition, the more participants share their views, experiences, and knowledge with regard to the natural environment, the more they gain insights into one another’s lives and recognize common interests in preserving and caring for the environment. When young and old stand together as environmental stewards and activists, all generations benefit, including those yet to be born. Hence, the environment can be seen as the perennial intergenerational issue.