Grandparent Tales: Exploring the Intergenerational Transmission of Life Stories through Photographic Expressive Arts

Abstract

The aims of this qualitative study are (1) to learn what grandparents most want their grandchildren to know about them; (2) to investigate how grandparents communicate family history and their own life stories to their grandchildren; (3) to explore the role and meaning of family photographs in the communication of grandparents' stories; and (4) to gather the experiences of grandparents within expressive arts workshops as they create and illustrate their own life story books to be shared with their grandchildren. Workshop participants will attend six weekly, two hour sessions in which they will be invited to tell, write and/or record their stories through narratives, photographs, voice recordings, art, poetry and other expressive techniques of their choosing. Data will be collected from approximately 30 participants through the use of open-ended interviews before, during and after they have attended the workshop series. The results of this investigation could serve as a guide for community agency counsellors, family therapists, parent educators, senior activity directors, gerontologists, social workers and support group facilitators who wish to incorporate expressive arts, phototherapy and/or storytelling techniques into their work with older adults and families. "Now that I am old and infirm I fear I shall no more be able to roam among the beautiful mountains...I can only paint my pictures and spread my colour over the cloud-topped mountain to transmit for future ages the hidden meaning which lies beyond all description in words." [c.A.D.400] (The Quote Cache 2006)