Setting the Stage for Generational Well-being
At a conference he was presenting at Lonnie Gienger, a longtime advocate for helping families create a lasting, multigenerational positive impact on society, posed the question to the audience, “What do I do now to help ensure that our family legacy, especially our values and purpose, flourish in the third to seventh generations?” He explained that the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), a North American Native American tribe, used the seventh-generation principle by considering how their choices in the present could affect seven generations. The idea captures the consideration for the long-term impact of decisions made in the present and what you would like to pass on for generations to come. Oren Lyons, a Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper, explains the core of the Seven Generations Principle:
“The Peacemaker taught us about the Seven Generations. He said, when you sit in council for the welfare of the people, you must not think of yourself or of your family, not even of your generation. He said, make your decisions on behalf of the seven generations coming, so that they may enjoy what you have today.”
Lyons addresses the historical duty that his people have been taught and continue to teach about the responsibility each person must create environments where those who proceed us can thrive; we have to own the influence we have on the conditions we create for future generations, whether that be socially, physically, emotionally, or environmentally. Gienger also expands on the ideas in a LinkedIn article by proposing: “What lasting legacy can you give to (them) so (they) can steer straight in a world that will undoubtedly be very different from our world? What you give him that will be a lasting legacy?”
What is Generational Well-Being? Why should the focus be Generational Well-Being?
Dr. Robert Putnam, a Political Scientist and the Author of Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, said, “When communities invest in children, education, and social cohesion, the benefits ripple across generations. A society that prioritizes collective well-being creates upward mobility for all.” Often times, the focus for upward mobility for families is concerned with the economic pillar and physical portions of well-being. When we focus solely on these factors, we miss parts of the puzzle that are essential for establishing lasting positive change.
For example, the SOAS University of London speaks to how advocates and professionals cannot focus on economic growth alone to make a better, healthier society. The SOAS article explains how there has been a longstanding assumption that economic factors are the key to improving societies. Historically, life expectancy has been a widely used public health measure for indicating a country's health; A National Institutes of Health journal article addresses the idea that wealthier countries have a correlation to healthier citizens. However, it proposes the caveat that how much healthier these countries are depends on how the wealth is distributed, which is often unequally.
This is not to say economic factors aren’t an essential consideration and factor towards generational well-being. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation talks about the importance of considering families in the economy now and for generations to come. The Child Welfare Information Gateway further addresses how research supports that economic and concrete supports (i.e. housing programs, food assistance, childcare) can help families meet their basic needs, alleviate stress, and promote well-being. Within the past couple years, Congress proposed the “Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect Act,” which would require states receiving grants for child protective services to separate poverty from neglect when considering removing a child from their parent or guardian. Additionally, we know generational wealth, the practice of transferring cash, real estate, bonds, investments, and even businesses, from one generation to the next is advantageous. Harvard Federal Credit Union says generational wealth provides access to things and opportunities that may not have otherwise been available. Nonetheless, while we know all this to be true, solely considering the economic factors of well-being can lead to greater inequalities and a lack of understanding of the wider context families exist in.
Similarly, the book Human Flourishing describes how well-being has often been characterized by, “a narrow view of health has been framed in biomedical—and frequently physical—terms as absence of disease or impairment.” It continues by saying broader and more holistic understandings offer a relational understanding of health that “transcends the focus on physical infirmity and locates the individual in social, ecological, and spiritual contexts.” The interconnectedness of health makes it essential to go beyond the physical standpoint of health and consider the greater complexity in which humans and families exist. Gallup, Inc., a company widely known for its public opinions polls that are conducted worldwide, conducted a comprehensive global study to understand what goes into well-being. The Gallup study revealed five broad categories that most people find essential to well-being, which align closely to the social determinants of health (SDOH):
- Career well-being
- Social well-being
- Financial well-being
- Physical well-being
- Community well-being
The study explains that if a person is struggling in any one of these domains, as most people are, it damages our well-being and wears on our daily life. Therefore, we do a disservice to ourselves and future generations when we only focus on strengthening one area of our well-being instead of taking on a more comprehensive approach.
As professionals and advocates, when we shift the focus from the perspective that economic factors and physical health determine family and societal success to a more comprehensive idea of investing in all aspects of family development, we can create lasting impacts. Dr. Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, the Director of the Institute for Child, Youth, and Family Policy, remarks, “The well-being of children today predicts the well-being of society tomorrow. Policies that support families—especially in housing, education, and income stability—create a foundation for generational progress.”
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Expanding our thinking
As professionals who serve families, it is essential to adopt a holistic perspective and see how by focusing on creating sustainable change for the well-being of families in the present, we create a pathway for achieving generational well-being and health. In an interview with her colleague, Somava Saha, President and CEO of WE in the World, expresses the general complexity of health and well-being:
“Whether you live in and grow up in a community that has enough humane housing or has or gives us access to meaningful work and wealth through which we can afford and access our basic needs for health and safety and food, whether you have access to lifelong learning to breakthrough generational cycles, and a sense of grounding in our community and culture, whether we have access to reliable transportation to visit one another or to get to work. These are all things that matter in terms of people being able to live a good life, to be able to be in community together and to be able to contribute toward our world.”
Saha’s words highlight the multi-faceted nature of well-being and health, laying the foundation for how when we are referring to generations to come, we should expand our focus beyond concrete supports and physical address to address the conditions families need to create an environment for future generations to thrive.
Saha summarizes the complexity and depth of well-being, showing us insight into how improving health and well-being for families in the present so future generations can benefit, and flourish requires a multi-pronged approach that goes beyond financial and physical health considerations. At the Institute for Family, we define generational well-being and health as the sustained health, stability, and flourishing of individuals across multiple generations, shaped by strong relationships, relational health, interconnected support, and equity. We acknowledge the genetic components and societal factors that contribute to well-being and try to elevate conditions where professionals and advocates equip families with the knowledge, resources, and tools to make intentional decisions to benefit them in the present and in the future.
Taking steps towards helping families establish generational well-being and health
The question that then comes to mind is, how as family advocates and professionals can we help families adopt a philosophy like the Seventh Generation Principle? How can we encourage people to consider the long-term effects of their actions and want to make the world a better place in the now so great-great-grandchildren can benefit? There is no quick, right answer to these questions. It is important to acknowledge that this is a constant process of learning, listening, and teaching. Nevertheless, there are steps we can take to lift families up and make establishing generational well-being tangible. Below, we discuss some of these steps.
- Take a two-generation or whole family approach to well-being. The Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning explains how we need to acknowledge the connection between individual and collective success for families by taking a two-generation approach to simultaneously address the needs of families. PubMed Central furthers this idea by talking about how family relationships influence an individual's ability to cope with stress, engage in healthier behaviors, and enhance self-esteem, which leads to higher well-being. A sole focus on a child's well–being means that other family members' well–being is left out of the conversation. A healthy family dynamic is crucial for child development and therefore requires research and leaders to focus on all family members for establishing flourishing families. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services coordinated action plan, “Transforming Child Welfare and Family Well-Being Together,” discusses how families play the primary role in nurturing their children, with supplement from services in the community when necessary. The Whole Family Approach recognizes that, while families are made up of individuals, their challenges and successes are interdependent. Through this approach, equal priority is put on both the needs of the adults and the children, which allows for seamless collaboration and switches to a prevention focus.
- Increase cross-agency collaboration. Previously in this Lightbulb Moment we discussed the many layers of establishing well-being for families. As family advocates and professionals, we are experts of one area of family well-being. To maximize outcomes and conditions, we need to engage in cross-agency collaboration to address the complex family needs that fall under multiple categories. The National Institute of Health speaks to how cross-system interventions improve individual and community outcomes. In addition, The Florida Center for Prevention Research expands on the importance of collaboration by saying it can lead to greater access to resources, efficiency, better outcomes, and seamlessness of services. The Center includes this graphic for who professionals can collaborate with the maximize outcomes:
- Provide guidance on building language and habits around well-being. The World Health Organization defines health literacy as the ability of individuals to “gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health.” It is more than just giving families pamphlets to read about programs and resources, it is giving families the tools and knowledge to advocate for themselves in different situations and to make informed decisions that affect their present and future health. The World Health Organization speaks to how we can’t make health literacy the sole responsibility of individuals; in other words, you can’t know what you don’t know. Instead, the people who work within the systems have a responsibility to present clear, accurate, accessible, and appropriate information to diverse audiences. The New Social Worker Magazine says advocates are uniquely positioned to provide health literacy by educating and coaching both individuals and groups in the communities they serve. In this way, you can promote positive change through the acquisition of knowledge.
Conclusion
Building a legacy of generational health and well-being is a multifaceted endeavor that requires a holistic approach to achieve long-term success for families. By not only focusing on economic and physical health, but also considering social, emotional, and environmental factors, we can hopefully help families make decisions today that positively impact future generations. Professionals and family advocates play a crucial role in the process of establishing generational well-being. By adopting a two-generation approach, fostering cross-agency collaboration, and promoting health literacy, we can create environments where generations to come can thrive. It has been said, “The Seventh Generation Principle is about ensuring our actions today do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Professionals and advocates can help ensure the collective responsibility families have in the now to create a better tomorrow.
If you have any questions or comments about the content in this Lightbulb Moment article, please get in touch with our Research Lead, Madeline Attianese, at mattianese@chsnc.org.
