Roy Senjooti, Ayalon Liat
Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Gerontologist. 2024 Mar 1;64(3). doi: 10.1093/geront/gnad063.
Compassion is described as an affective experience arising from witnessing the undeserved suffering of another that propels one to provide protection and cooperation. Climate change is often associated with "underserved suffering," especially of younger and future generations. Consequently, contemporary climate discourse has expressed hostility toward older generations for inflicting such suffering. Studies on intergenerational relations within the context of climate change agree that intergenerational solidarity, rather than conflict, is necessary for effective climate action. Because compassion is instrumental to solidarity, in this study, we explore intergenerational climate-related expressions of compassion leading to intergenerational solidarity.
We interviewed 16 climate activists from 8 countries (aged 16-76 years) to understand how they view climate responsibility. Thematic analysis was undertaken to create and explore themes related to intergenerational compassion and solidarity.
Compassion flowed in both directions: from younger to older generations in the form of forgiveness, empathy, and understanding, and from older to younger generations through advocacy, lifestyle changes, and transmission of knowledge and skills. All participants emphasized solutions over accusations. Areas of focus varied between industrialized and developing countries. Cultural factors played an essential role in intergenerational perceptions.
Climate change can be a polarizing issue with older adults fielding accusations and younger people facing criticism for demanding climate action. Examples of intergenerational compassion can counter ageism, reshape climate narratives, encourage intergenerational cooperation, harness the skills of different generations, and create a sustainable world for all ages.
同情被描述为一种情感体验，源于目睹他人不应遭受的苦难，促使人们提供保护与合作。气候变化往往与“不应遭受的苦难”相关联，尤其是对年轻一代和后代而言。因此，当代气候话语表达了对造成此类苦难的老一辈人的敌意。关于气候变化背景下代际关系的研究一致认为，代际团结而非冲突对于有效的气候行动至关重要。由于同情有助于团结，在本研究中，我们探讨导致代际团结的与气候相关的代际同情表达。
我们采访了来自8个国家的16名气候活动家（年龄在16 - 76岁之间），以了解他们如何看待气候责任。进行了主题分析，以创建和探索与代际同情和团结相关的主题。
同情是双向流动的：以宽恕、同理心和理解的形式从年轻一代流向年长一代，以及通过倡导、生活方式改变以及知识和技能的传授从年长一代流向年轻一代。所有参与者都强调解决方案而非指责。工业化国家和发展中国家的关注领域有所不同。文化因素在代际认知中起着至关重要的作用。
气候变化可能是一个两极分化的问题，老年人受到指责，而年轻人因要求采取气候行动而面临批评。代际同情的例子可以对抗年龄歧视、重塑气候叙事、鼓励代际合作、利用不同代人的技能，并为所有年龄段创造一个可持续的世界。
