Group Work Intervention In Family Intergener-ational Conflicts Of The Elderly Immigrants

As the aging process is accelerated in China,the migration of elderly population has attracted attention of people from all walks of life.A large number of elderly people go to a new city to live with their children.Changes of geographic locations and living environments have brought a lot of pressure and challenges to values and living habits of elderly immigrants.Family is the most basic social unit,positive intergenerational support will enhance happiness in old age.However,tense intergenerational conflicts will lead to elderly people’s negative mood of inferiority,loneliness and depression and increase psychological burden.Therefore,paying attention to the intergenerational relationship of elderly immigrants,and actively exploring ways to resolve intergenerational conflicts in the family,which deserve to be a common topic of discussion in the field of social work.Guided by empowering theory,cognitive theory and intergenerational ambivalence theory,this thesis takes the elderly immigrants of H community,Nanchang as the research object.Lots of data are collected through documentary method,interview method and observation method,which are used to analyze the family intergenerational conflict status,situation and causes of migrant elderly people.Besides,methods and approaches to involve social work to family intergenerational conflicts are explored.Early interview and investigation show that the intergenerational conflicts of elderly immigrants in H community are featured by obvious parenting philosophies,prominent economic support contradiction,great difference in lifestyle and consumption concept and the ignorance of their self-esteem.This has a negative influence on physical and psychological health of the elderly people.At the stage of service implementation,nine members were recruited in public to participate in“bridge of love” intergenerational communication support group activity of elderly people.Seven supportive group activities were held to guide and assist members to talk about their family problems and conflict events.These activities help share a lot of information,provide oral encouragement and emotional support to people.These activities helped the elderly immigrants learn intergenerational communication skills,explore their own advantages,transfer unhealthy mood and correct the unhealthy family role cognition.They finally eased intergenerational conflicts and realized family harmony and happiness.At the end of the group activities,through follow-up interviews and scale assessments,it was found that the intervention service resulted in increased closeness between the elderly immigrants and intergenerational members,and a significant improvement in intergenerational relationships.All of these greatly proved the effectiveness of group work involvement in inter-generational conflict of migrant elderly people and had a certain reference significance for research on social work practice of elderly people.From perspective of social work,this thesis gives suggestions on easing family inter-generational conflicts of elderly immigrants.First,the government should ensure the construction of nursing home,care facility and other infrastructures and promote the improvement of non-local medical treatment and other policies and regulations.In addition,professional talent teams for social work shall be constructed and diversified development of service modes shall be promoted.Second,the community should do the cross-regional interaction service well,continuously carry out and promote the filial piety culture publicity and education,and enhance the migrant elderly people’s sense of belonging to another place and happiness.Third,family members should give more supports and encouragements to elderly immigrants,increase the frequency of communication,and enhance the maintenance of family affection.Fourth,the elderly people should improve their ability of dealing with problems and solving problems,fully explore their own advantages and potentials,and care themselves and their families with a more positive attitude.