Challenges in moving from macro to micro: Population and family structures in ageing societies

Assumptions are often made about how population ageing on the macro level has altered generational structures of families at the micro level. The purpose of this paper is to increase the awareness of challenges and potential pitfalls in bridging the two levels. To highlight these issues, two common claims found in the literature are questioned and discussed: that increased life expectancy leads to more multigenerational family structures and that reduced fertility means fewer children to care for frail parents. To illustrate, we use population statistics and survey data from selected countries.family structure, gender, generation, micro and macro approaches, multigenerational family structures, population aging

Transfers between grandparents and grandchildren: the importance of taking a three-generation perspective

'Der demographische Wandel mit der beispiellos langen gemeinsamen Lebenszeit und der sich verschiebenden Balance zwischen Alt und Jung in der Familie erfordert in Hinblick auf Transfers zwischen Großeltern und Enkeln eine Drei-Generationen-Perspektive. Ein großer Teil der Hilfen von Großeltern besteht in ihrer fortwährenden Unterstützung für ihre erwachsenen Kinder, also die Eltern ihrer Enkelkinder. Mit aktuellen norwegischen Daten wird diese indirekte Unterstützung auf drei Ebenen untersucht: Wahrnehmung von Rollenmodellen, tatsächliche Hilfen bei dem elterlichen Aufgaben sowie Unterstützung in schwierigen Zeiten und potenzielle Hilfe. Dabei existieren deutliche Hinweise, dass die Großeltern eine 'Reservearmee' für ihre Kinder und Enkelkinder darstellen, und zwar insbesondere die Großmütter mütterlicherseits. Scheidungen weisen hingegen auf strukturelle Hindernisse für fortwährende Hilfeleistungen hin., insbesondere auf Seiten der Großeltern väterlicherseits. Beim Forschungsdesign und der Durchführung von Studien über heutige Großeltern muss man sich des potenziellen Asymmetrie-Problems bewusst sein und klare Entscheidungen darüber treffen, an welcher Stelle in der Generationenlinie die Untersuchung verankert wird.' (Autorenreferat)'The key argument in this article is that recent demographic change, with unprecedented duration of intergenerational ties and shifting balance between old and young in family lines necessitates three-generational views of transfers between grandparents and grandchildren. Much support from grandparents comes through continued parenting of the middle generation, the grandchildren's parents. Using recent data from Norway, such indirect support is explored through three avenues: ideal role perceptions, actual help in parenting, support in difficult times and potential help. In most instances, there is considerable evidence that grand-parents represent a 'reserve army' for their children and grandchildren, especially grand-mothers in the maternal line. Divorce may represent structural obstacles to the flow of sup-port, especially in the paternal line. In designing and executing studies of modern grandparents, researchers need to be aware of asymmetry as a potential problem and be very clear on where in vertical connections the research is anchored.' (author's abstract

Å møte ettåringen i garderoben

Førskolelærerutdanning PE3-312 Mai, 201

Structuration of the life course: Some neglected aspects

North American life course research has typically focused on micro/meso level contexts, and how these shape men’s and women’s lives. There has been less attention to societal laws and policies in analyses of gendered life courses. In contrast, Europeans have typically neglected gender and interdependence among lives, concentrating on analyses of how the state shapes trajectories. We argue that the consideration of demographic context and the role of laws and policies can help bridge the continental divide in life course approaches. In focusing on these two macro-level structural factors, it is unavoidable to acknowledge that families are critical mediators between society and individuals. We show that demographic shifts are creating new late life potential and new opportunities for intergenerational connections. Demographic change also increases differences between men’s and women’s networks and lives. We discuss so-called intergenerational policy regimes and show how they strengthen autonomy versus interdependence in families. Our review of legal changes reveals gender convergence in life structuring. Yet, we also observe strong contrasts between how men and women actually live their lives. Most likely, new understanding of this complex picture can be found in the intersection of macro-and micro perspectives. It is more important than ever that we bridge a “continental divide” between research communities, across countries and methodological camps

Selective isolation of Arctic marine actinobacteria and a down-scaled fermentation and extraction strategy for identifying bioactive compounds

Actinobacteria are among the most prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. In order to collect Arctic marine bacteria for the discovery of new bioactive metabolites, actinobacteria were selectively isolated during a research cruise in the Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. In the frame of the isolation campaign, it was investigated how different sample treatments, isolation media and sample-sources, such as animals and sediments, affected the yield of actinobacterial isolates to aid further isolation campaigns. Special attention was given to sediments, where we expected spores of spore forming bacteria to enrich. Beside actinobacteria a high share of bacilli was obtained which was not desired. An experimental protocol for down-scaled cultivation and extraction was tested and compared with an established low-throughput cultivation and extraction protocol. The heat-shock method proved suitable to enrich spore-, or endospore forming bacteria such as bacilli. Finally, a group bioactive compounds could be tentatively identified using UHPLC–MS/MS analysis of the active fractions.publishedVersio

Perspectives on the intergration of older men and women

This introduction to the special issue “Social Integration in Later Life” addresses the background ideas and concepts of the articles encompassing research into the extent and quality of older adults’ integration in organizations, family, and personal networks. A rough conceptual framework is provided, distinguishing between types of integration and different units of analysis. The macro level of society and its social institutions as well as smaller groups and the social locations of individuals are addressed. On a macro level, integration and segregation are juxtaposed, building on classic discussions of integration, as well as recent ideas about social resources, welfare states, and rekindled considerations of age segregation. At the individual level, the concepts of integration and isolation and the subjective assessments of embeddedness and loneliness are contrasted. keywords: social integration; older adults; social isolation; segregation'; embeddedness; lonelines

Generational research: between historical and sociological imaginations

This paper reflects on Julia Brannen’s contribution to the development of theory and methods for intergenerational research. The discussion is contextualised within a contemporary ‘turn to time’ within sociology, involving tensions and synergies between sociological and historical imagination. These questions are informed by a juxtaposition of Brannen’s four-generation study of family change and social historian Angela Davis’s exploration women and the family in England between 1945 and 2000. These two studies give rise to complementary findings, yet have distinctive orientations towards the status and treatment of sources, the role of geography in research design and limits of generalisatio

Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination of mouth swabs during production causing a major outbreak

BACKGROUND: In 2002 we investigated an outbreak comprising 231 patients in Norway, caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and linked to the use of contaminated mouth swabs called Dent-O-Sept. Here we describe the extent of contamination of the swabs, and identify critical points in the production process that made the contamination possible, in order to prevent future outbreaks. METHODS: Environmental investigation with microbiological examination of production, ingredients and product, molecular typing of bacteria and a system audit of production. RESULTS: Of the 1565 swabs examined from 149 different production batches the outbreak strain of P. aeruginosa was detected in 76 swabs from 12 batches produced in 2001 and 2002. In total more than 250 swabs were contaminated with one or more microbial species. P. aeruginosa was detected from different spots along the production line. The audit revealed serious breeches of production regulations. Health care institutions reported non-proper use of the swabs and weaknesses in their purchasing systems. CONCLUSION: Biofilm formation in the wet part of the production is the most plausible explanation for the continuous contamination of the swabs with P. aeruginosa over a period of at least 30 weeks. When not abiding to production regulations fatal consequences for the users may ensue. For the most vulnerable patient groups only documented quality-controlled, high-level disinfected products and items should be used in the oropharynx