Intergenerational relations in the West of Ireland and sociocultural approaches to wisdom

Discussion of intergenerational relationships has perennially questioned how life experience can be transmitted effectively. This article revisits that debate, focusing on the intergenerational role of wisdom in the West of Ireland. Ethnographic reconstructions of wise interaction within families and communities, especially in regions of Irish society that still bear traces of semitraditional social practices, suggest that certain types of wisdom may promote well-being, even resilience. Shared cultural resources involving wisdom may help younger generations negotiate everyday predicaments in an independent manner. This article explores details of how these interactions take place, suggesting that the processes involved bear similarities with a number of therapeutic approaches.