An Educational Experience to Address Age Segregation in the Contemporary United States

Abstract

Twenty years ago, Hagestad and Uhlenberg identified age segregation as a neglected dimension in the ageism literature, which they attributed to it having been accepted as natural in the cultural climate in which that research was situated. Because society cannot survive without interaction that challenges “us and them” polarization, the authors called for the reincorporation of intergenerational encounters. To that point, in this article I share the outcomes of an educational experience my students underwent 2 years ago in which they met weekly with an older adult via Zoom. The students expressed having found the intergenerational encounter eye-opening and transformative—confronting and transcending death anxiety and existential isolation. Also, the students articulated admiration for the older adults’ ability to resiliently make the most of their remaining time. In addition, the experience helped the students better appreciate the importance of authenticity and curiosity—as well as empathize with the lived experience of age segregation. Taken together, the students’ reflections greatly parallel those found in the humanistic literature on cross-cultural encounters, which emphasizes the role of truly personal human connection (I-Thou) in contradicting stereotypes and breaking down distancing (I-it) by confronting fear of difference both from and within oneself.