Bridging China’s Intergenerational Cultural Divide: Unveiling Design Pathways for Grandparent-Grandchild Products
摘要
The prevalence of grandparenting in China has highlighted the cultural and behavioral tensions between grandparents and grandchildren as a central cause of family discord. This study explores how innovative product design strategies can mitigate such conflicts by addressing the intergenerational cultural divide. The research focuses on the cultural differences and behavioral conflicts between grandparents and grandchildren, analyzes the current state and future trends of intergenerational product design, and outlines actionable pathways for design interventions. Employing a combination of literature review, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Parsons’ social system theory with its AGIL model, the study identifies connections between intergenerational cultural conflicts and behavioral discrepancies. The findings underscore the importance of culturally adaptive design, emotionally driven solutions, and health behavior facilitation as key approaches to resolving these tensions. By fostering emotional communication, behavioral collaboration, and optimized resource sharing within families, the study demonstrates that intergenerational interaction can be significantly improved. Successful design interventions require a deep understanding of cultural context and behavioral patterns to enable two-way intergenerational cultural integration. This research not only broadens the scope of design in intergenerational cultural studies but also enriches health behavior change strategies, providing valuable insights for families, communities, and digital platforms to cultivate harmonious intergenerational relationships.