MeGeWoPo: Multi-generational living in the "Platte"

Against the background of demographic change and the change in family care structures as well as the differentiation of ways of life, the BMBF-funded research project "Mehrgenerationenwohnen in die Platte - Gemeinschaft und intergenerationaler Transfer für eine selbstbestimmte Lebensführung im Alter" (Multigenerational Living in the "Platte" - Community and Intergenerational Transfer for Self-Determined Living in Old Age) used participatory research methods to examine the community and support dynamics in self-organized multigenerational housing projects and two model projects for multigenerational living under the sponsorship of municipal housing associations. In this context, multigenerational housing projects have been empirically scrutinized as an innovative solution for self-determined living and housing in old age.

Research guiding questions

1. How do substantial communities come about in multigenerational housing projects?
2. What practices for shaping intergenerational coexistence and mutual social support can be identified?
3. How can community promote independent living and caring structures in old age?

Aims of the research project

1. Capture of experiential knowledge from self-organized multigenerational housing projects through participatory research
2. Realization of two model projects in cooperation with municipal housing associations in Potsdam and Frankfurt/Oder 
3. Development of guidelines for successful practice in multigenerational housing projects

The empirical approach was based on a participatory research approach. In a first step, experiences of neighborly social organization and self-help were tapped through scientific accompanying research of three self-organized multigenerational housing projects. In a second step, a series of participatory research-development workshops were conducted together with residents of two prefabricated housing projects. The self-empowering neighborhood communication and action structures were sustainably consolidated. Based on this, findings on successful support structures in self-organized multigenerational housing projects were scientifically prepared and theoretically generalized.

The research results were made accessible to a broad civil society audience as well as experts in politics and business in the context of scientific publications, two guidelines on multigenerational living and several conferences and lectures. 

Documents

• Multigenerational Housing for Rent: A guide to a forward-looking housing option in community housing
• Multigenerational Housing: A Guide to Community and Solidarity

Research Findings

Publications 

• Thomas, Stefan; Scheller, David; Ehmann, Tanja (in preparation): Substanzielle Gemeinschaften - Selbstorganisation und Gemeinwohl in Mehrgenerationenwohnprojekten. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag.
• Thomas, Stefan; Scheller, David; Ehmann, Tanja; Schröder, Susan (2020): Mehrgenerationenwohnen: Ein Leitfaden für Gemeinschaft und solidarisches Zusammenleben, Norderstedt: BoD. 
• Thomas, Stefan; Ehmann, Tanja; Scheller, David; Schröder, Susan (2020): Mehrgenerationenwohnen zur Miete: Ein Leitfaden für eine zukunftsweisende Wohnform, Norderstedt: BoD.
• Ludwig, Elke (2019): Flur mit Ausblick. Wie baut man eine gute Nachbarschaft? In: Deutsches Architektenblatt. Unter: www.dabonline.de/2019/05/30/flur-mit-ausblick-nachbarschaft-psychologie/
• Thomas, Stefan; Schröder, Susan; Scheller, David (2018): Citizen Science als forschendes Lernen. Partizipative Forschung mit Bewohner*innen aus Mehrgenerationenwohnprojekten. In: Eck, Sandra (Hrsg.): Forschendes Lernen – Lernendes Forschen. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa, S. 103-117. 
• Thomas, Stefan; Schröder, Susan; Scheller, David (2018): Citizen Social Science – Das Research Forum als partizipative Forschungsmethodik. In: Eck, Sandra (Hrsg.): Forschendes Lernen – Lernendes Forschen. Weinheim: Beltz-Juventa. (im Druck) 
• Schröder, Susan; Scheller, David (2017): Abgesicherte Fürsorge und fürsorgliche Absicherung in Gemeinschaft. Mehrgenerationenwohnprojekte als neue Form städtischer Reproduktion?, In: sub\urban, Band 5, Heft 3, 23-42. 

Lectures

• 8/2019 Tanja Ehmann "Community in Multi-generational Co-housing projects- Who and what belongs to whom and when?" Panel, RN37: Urban Sociology, ESA Conference 2019: "Europe and Beyond: Boundaries, Barriers and Belonging" Manchester, UK
• 6/2019 Stefan Thomas "Wie leben Jung und Alt in Zukunft unter einem Dach?" Potsdamer Köpfe im Bildungsforum Potsdam (WIS), Potsdam 
• 07/2018 "Communities Of Solidarity. Searching for Social Commitment In An Individualized World", Panel, XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology "Power, Violence and Justice: Reflections, Responses and Responsibilities", International Sociological Association, Toronto, Canada 
• 09/2017 Susan Schröder "Mehrgenerationenwohnen. Diversität an Alterskonzepten beim Leben in intergenerationalen Gemeinschaften", Session: Engagement und Generationen, Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gerontologie und Geriatrie: "Heterogenität des Alter(n)s", University of Applied Sciences Fulda 
• 08/2017 David Scheller "Multigenerational (co)housing between urban governance and self-empowerment: Intergenerational community building and solidarity", Panel, RN37: Urban Sociology, "(Un)making the city: Urban exclusions, solidarities and sociabilities",ESA Conference 2017: "(Un)Making Europe: Capitalism, Solidarities, Subjectivities", Pantheon University, Athens, Greece 
• 08/2017 Susan Schröder „Multigenerational Cohousing Communites as Elective Affinity Networks", Panel, RN13: Sociology of Families and Intimate Lives, "Intergenerational Relationships and Kinshipnetworks", ESA Conference 2017: "(Un)Making Europe: Capitalism, Solidarities, Subjectivities", Pantheon University, Athens, Greece 
• 08/2017 Stefan Thomas "The Research Forum as a Conceptual Frame for Social Self-Clarification in Participatory Research", Panel, RN20: Qualitative Methods, "Participation and Observation", ESA Conference 2017: "(Un)Making Europe: Capitalism, Solidarities, Subjectivities", Pantheon University, Athens, Greece Veranstaltungen 
• 07/2018 "Communities Of Solidarity. Searching for Social Commitment In An Individualized World", Panel, XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology "Power, Violence and Justice: Reflections, Responses and Responsibilities", International Sociological Association, Toronto, Canada 
• 03/2018 "Solidarische Gemeinschaften, Wohlbefinden und Gesundheit", Fachforum, Public-Health Congress Armut und Gesundheit 2018 "Gemeinsam. Gerecht. Gesund.", TU Berlin 
• 06/2017 "Dann machen wir es selber: (Selbst-)Organisation von Mehrgenerationenwohnen in der Platte", Workshop auf Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Gemeindepsychologische Forschung und Praxis (GGFP), "Schönes Leben - miese Stimmung. Gemeindepsychologische Positionen", Berlin 
• 10/2016 "Mehrgenerationenwohnen: Selbstorganisation von Gemeinschaft und Intergenerationalität", Fachtagung, Sozial- und Bildungswissenschaften, Fachhochschule Potsdam Forschungsarbeiten Susan Schröder "Fürsorge im selbstorganisierten Mehrgenerationenwohnen - Eine intersektionale Analyse alltäglicher Praxen" (Promotion, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam)

Theses

• Jonas Bothe "Providing decent elderly care in a neoliberal care system. An analysis of counter-neoliberal daycare approaches" (Master's thesis, University of Leipzig) 
• Elke Ludwig-Czech "Spaces of encounter. At which places do residents of the Pablo Neruda block make their neighborly contacts?" (Bachelor thesis, FernUniversität Hagen)