ABSTRACT
Summary The processes of social ageism and oppositional thinking outlined in the previous chapter raise the question of how spaces can be created that allow reflection and negotiated solutions to take place. In order to begin this search, it is important to move from an immersive state, where social assumptions about age and generation are taken for granted and the superiority of one’s own generational position is assumed; to a more complex state of mind in which multiple perspectives can be recognized. Here, two elements of the process of creating positive generational distance are explored. First, it is argued that the ambiguity of intergenerational relationships has to be acknowledged, as well as its emotionally charged twin, ambivalence. Second, the presence of power imbalances between generational groups, either interpersonally or systemically, creates a situation of social masking, which can be used to protect the self and to connect to other people. These two forms of distance contribute to the creation of intergenerationally intelligent spaces, where conflicting emotions can be contained and links made to members of other groups.
