01 October 2008 – Research reveals older people have the “know how”
On UK Older People’s Day new research reveals a rich variety of knowledge, culture and practical know how being passed down through families.
Family history, practical skills, stories and recipes top the list of hand-me-downs, with nearly three quarters (73%) of people saying this knowledge is more likely to be held by their grandparents’ generation rather than their own.
There’s an appetite to keep this knowledge alive with over three quarters (77%) of us worrying that it may die out.
For fixing, making, providing or entertaining from scratch, our older friends and relatives can be a great source of practical wisdom. Whether it’s to help throw a children's party, end our ready-meal dependency, tend an allotment or do basic DIY, over two thirds (68%) of people are keen to get their hands on this know how.
Pensions Minister Mike O’Brien is calling on younger generations to strengthen their ties with the older people in their lives.
“Swapping stories, skills and ideas across generations gives us an opportunity to discover what we all have in common and appreciate the role older people play in our lives and our communities,” he said.
Keeping it in the family
Women are the queens of hand-me-down culture with more agreeing than men that various types of family wisdom have been passed to them.
| Type of knowledge | Agree passed down through family (%) |
|---|---|
|
Family history |
65 61 (M) 69 (F) |
|
Practical skills |
59 56(M) 61(F) |
|
Stories |
51 48(M) 53(F) |
|
Family recipes |
49 37(M) 58(F) |
|
Superstitions |
43 34(M) 52(F) |
|
Old wives’ tales |
43 32(M) 53(F) |
|
Knowledge of natural world |
42 37(M) 47(F) |
|
Jokes |
37 37(M) 37(F) |
|
Traditional remedies for illness |
35 28(M) 42(F) |
|
Traditional songs, music, dances |
33 25(M) 40(F) |
Practical wisdom
Many of us have inherited a wide range of practical knowhow, from playing traditional party games to baking, pointing to a revival in traditional home skills.
| Traditional skill | Know how to do it (%) |
|---|---|
| Play traditional party games | 89 |
| Cook a roast dinner | 88 |
| Bake cookies and cakes | 81 |
| Grow fruit and vegetables | 80 |
| Rewire a plug | 80 |
| Mend my own clothes | 79 |
| Play traditional card games eg, whist | 72 |
| Jump start a car | 67 |
| Make jams and pickles | 58 |
| Hang a door | 55 |
| Make curtains | 48 |
| Do tapestry, embroidery or crochet | 46 |
| Make my own clothes | 45 |
| Make furniture from wood | 38 |
| Navigate using the sun and stars | 31 |
Top motivators
When asked, more than two thirds (68%) of people said they would like to learn some of this practical knowhow. To have fun and to save money are the top two motivators showing there are financial as well as fun reasons to turn to older friends and relatives for advice. The instinct to, in turn, pass this knowledge on to our children proves a strong driver for a quarter of us.
| Top reasons to learn | People agree (%) |
|---|---|
| For fun | 30 |
| To save money | 26 |
| To pass down to my children | 25 |
| To have a new hobby | 21 |
| To help stay healthy | 16 |
| To help the environment | 14 |
| To make money by teaching it | 5 |
Mike O’Brien commented: “From allotments to local choirs, shared passions help bring people of all ages together. Socialising with people of different generations can help to strengthen local communities and make sure older people aren’t isolated or excluded.”
Children’s Minister, Beverley Hughes added: “Older people and young people have much to gain from each other: older people having the chance to pass on their insight and experience and younger people engaging with and supporting older people.”
For media enquiries contact: Vicky Hatchett on 0203 267 5121 or Kathy Barlow on 0203 267 5128.
DWP Press Office: 0203 267 5144
Out of hours: 07659 108 883
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
- Full of Life is a government campaign to celebrate the role older people play in society and to challenge outdated stereotypes of what it means to be old. For UK Older People’s Day on 1st October 2008, the Department for Work and Pensions is working with a wide range of organisations to encourage people to hold celebratory events that bring people of all ages together. Visit www.direct.gov.uk/fulloflife for more information.
- Research was conducted via BMRB’s in-home face-to-face omnibus, from 10 - 16 July 2008. A sample of 1,003 adults, aged 15+ across Great Britain, were interviewed, with data subsequently weighted to the known profile of this population.
- To download the full report visit http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/ageing-society/full-of-life/
