
Intergenerational Exchanges in LGBTQ+ communities
Start date
September 2022End date
March 2023Overview
Intergenerational disconnection is a problem across society. However, through a CILIA-LGBTQI+ study on intersectional life course inequalities it has been discovered that this is particularly the case among LGBTQ+ people, whose ‘families of choice’ are often peer-group-based, without descendants and less likely to include members from their ‘family of origin’. The study also found that LGBTQ+ people often have generational identities based on different formative historical developments from mainstream generations (shaped instead by queer-specific events such as the Stonewall riots, Section 28, and marriage equality), and inflected by the life-stage when they came out or transitioned.
This current project works closely with LGBTQ+ charitable organizations to co-design and pilot a set of intergenerational interventions that enable LGBTQ+ people to narrate and reflect on their generational identity in an intergenerational setting. Intergenerational disconnection is a problem across society. However, through a CILIA-LGBTQI+ study on intersectional life course inequalities it has been discovered that this is particularly the case among LGBTQ+ people, whose ‘families of choice’ are often peer-group-based, without descendants and less likely to include members from their ‘family of origin’. The study also found that LGBTQ+ people often have generational identities based on different formative historical developments from mainstream generations (shaped instead by queer-specific events such as the Stonewall riots, Section 28, and marriage equality), and inflected by the life-stage when they came out or transitioned. This current project works closely with LGBTQ+ charitable organizations to co-design and pilot a set of intergenerational interventions that enable LGBTQ+ people to narrate and reflect on their generational identity in an intergenerational setting.
Team
Principle Investigator

Matthew Hall
Lecturer
Biography
Dr. Matthew Hall is a Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey.
He previously worked as a Research Fellow on the multi-partner NORFACE/ESRC funded project, ‘Comparing Intersectional Life Course Inequalities amongst LGBTQI+ Citizens’, where he researched intersectional LGBTQI+ career inequalities.
His current research interests cover hate crime, far right extremism and the sociology of sexuality, including the formation of Queer/LGBTQ generational identities.
Co-investigators

Professor Andrew King
Head of Department of Sociology, Professor of Sociology
Biography
I am a Professor of Sociology and the Head of the Department of Sociology here at Surrey. I am also Co-Director of the Centre for Research on Ageing and Generations, Co-Chair of SGS (the Sex, Gender and Sexualities Research Group at Surrey) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
I have been recognised for my excellence in both research and teaching. In 2018 I received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence and I received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence in 2014.
I am currently an Associate Editor of the journal, Ageing and Society and a Co-Editor of Sociology, the journal of the British Sociological Association.
During 2022 I am a Visiting Professor in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Helen Kingstone
Lecturer in Nineteenth Century Literature (Royal Holloway University London)
See profileOur partners
This ESRC IAA Project is a partnership between The University of Surrey, Metro Charity, Tonic Housing, Stonewall Housing and Opening Doors.

Impact
Impacts on the LGBTQ+ workshop participants
A greater sense of intergenerational community, confidence in navigating intergenerational exchanges productively, and greater understanding of the perspectives of members of other generations is anticipated.
Impacts on the partner organisations
Partners will learn about their members’ sense of generational identity, the extent to which they feel represented by or disconnected from cis-heteronormative generational discourse, and their sense of intergenerational connectedness or otherwise.
Impacts on the partner organisations and project team
Partners and project team will learn about the value of the co-produced creative intergenerational intervention and will adopt best practice going forward.
Impact Acceleration Account awarded projects
Our projects are all playing their part in turning social science research outcomes into meaningful impact that will touch our lives and communities.