scholarly journals Cultural Exclusion in Old-Age: A Social Exclusion Perspective on Cultural Practice in Later Life

Author(s):  
Vera Gallistl

AbstractCultural exclusion in older age is conceptually under-developed and empirically under-explored. This results in a lack of knowledge concerning the mechanisms through which cultural exclusion is produced and the policy instruments that support cultural inclusion in later life. This article explores how cultural practice changes in old age and how these changes associate with old-age social exclusion. Cultural participation comprises (a) going-out, (b) home-bound and (c) identity-culture. These domains are explored with survey data (n = 1000) of Austrians aged 60 years and older.Results suggest shifting cultural practice later in life, from public to private spaces, and three clusters of cultural participants (Omnivore, Univore-Television (TV), Univore-Entertainment), which differ in their cultural practice, social status, and taste preferences. Univores-TV are typically involved in home-bound cultural practices, most likely to be socially excluded, and show the highest appreciation of folk art. Disengagement from public cultural spaces is, hence, more prevalent among socially marginalised groups with folk tastes.Gerontology needs to problematize older adults’ exclusion from cultural practice as a matter of spatial and taste marginalisation. In order to build more age-inclusive cultures across Europe, policy should address the diversity of older adults’ cultural participation and provide support in bringing marginalised practices to public spaces.

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana-Alexandra DUMITRESCU

Social exclusion of older adults represents a focal problem in Romania. It has a multidimensional character, manifesting in multiple areas: exclusion from social relations, from material resources, from services, from community and society. This paper presents the rationale of the AMASE project, our research and social policy objectives, as well as our work philosophy. Keywords: social exclusion; vulnerability; ageing; Norwegian grants.


2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 625-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARJOLEIN I. BROESE VAN GROENOU ◽  
THEO VAN TILBURG

This paper examines the impact of childhood and adulthood socio-economic status (SES) on personal network characteristics in later life. Data are derived from 2,285 married older adults (born between 1903 and 1937) who participated in face-to-face interviews for the Dutch survey on ‘Living arrangements and social networks of older adults’ conducted in 1992. Childhood and adulthood SES were indicated by the father's and own level of education and occupation. Multivariate analyses showed that SES in adulthood has more impact on network features in old age than father's SES. People with low lifetime SES or with downward SES mobility had small networks, low instrumental and emotional support from non-kin, but high instrumental support from kin, when compared with the upwardly mobile or those with high lifetime SES. The level of education was a better indicator of network differences than occupational prestige. It is concluded that obtaining a high SES during life pays off in terms of having more supportive non-kin relationships in old age. The small networks and less supportive non-kin relationships of low-status older adults make them more vulnerable to situations in which kin are unavailable or less willing to provide support. This study underscores the distinction between types of support and types of relationships in the SES–network association. Further research on the social pathways of socio-economic inequality in health and wellbeing should take these distinctions into account.


Author(s):  
Tine Buffel ◽  
Samuèle Rémillard-Boilard ◽  
Kieran Walsh ◽  
Bernard McDonald ◽  
An-Sofie Smetcoren ◽  
...  

Developing ‘Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC)’ has become a key part of policies aimed at improving the quality of life of older people in urban areas. Despite this development, there is evidence of rising inequalities among urban elders, and little known about the potential and limitations of the age-friendly model to reduce old-age exclusion. This article addresses this research gap by comparing how Brussels, Dublin, and Manchester, as three members of the Global Network of AFCC, have responded to social exclusion in later life. The article combines data from document analysis and stakeholder interviews to examine: first, the age-friendly approach and the goal of reducing social exclusion; and second, barriers to developing age-friendly policies as a means of addressing exclusion. The paper suggests that there are reciprocal benefits in linking age-friendly and social exclusion agendas for producing new ways of combatting unequal experiences of ageing in cities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S803-S803
Author(s):  
Sinead Keogh ◽  
Stephen O’ Neill ◽  
Kieran Walsh

Abstract The measurement of the complex, multidimensional and dynamic concept of old-age social exclusion has been constrained due to theoretical and methodological challenges as well as a reliance on secondary data sources not designed to collect social exclusion indicators. Limitations in measuring social exclusion in later life hinder the expansion of our empirical and conceptual understanding of social exclusion. In this paper, we seek to address these limitations by developing a composite measure of old-age social exclusion using three methods: 1) normalisation through re-scaling with linear aggregation, 2) a sum-of-scores approach with an applied threshold and, 3) classification and regression trees (CART), a machine learning approach. Using the conceptual framework of old-age exclusion presented by Walsh et al., (2017), these three approaches are applied empirically with data from Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). The measures are assessed in terms of their ability to explain a validated measure of psychological well-being. Results suggest that despite the challenges associated with secondary data and measurement techniques that implicitly measure social exclusion, the newly proposed composite measure computed using CART performed better than the other two measures which are more prevalent in the literature.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Nobels ◽  
Gilbert M.D. Lemmens ◽  
Lisa Thibau ◽  
Marie Beaulieu ◽  
Christophe Vandeviver ◽  
...  

Background Sexual violence (SV) has an important impact on mental health. Childhood sexual abuse is linked to internalising disorders in later life. In older adults, SV occurs more often than previously believed. Moreover, health care workers lack the skills to address SV in later life. Studies researching the mental health impact of lifetime SV, i.e. SV during childhood, adulthood and old age, are lacking. Methods Between July 2019 and March 2020, 513 older adults living in Belgium participated in structured face-to-face-interviews. Selection occurred via a cluster random probability sampling with a random walk finding approach. Depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) were measured using validated scales. Participants were asked about suicide attempts and self-harm during their lifetime and in the past 12-months. SV was measured using behaviourally specific questions based on a broad SV definition. Results Rates for depression, anxiety and PTSD were 27%, 26% and 6% respectively, 2% had attempted suicide, 1% reported self-harm in the past 12-months. Over 44% experienced lifetime SV, 8% in the past 12-months. Lifetime SV was linked to depression (p =.001), anxiety (p =.001), and PTSD in participants with a chronic illness/disability (p = .002) or no/lower education (p <.001). We found no link between lifetime SV and suicide attempts or self-harm in the past 12-months. Conclusions Lifetime SV is linked to mental health problems in late life. Tailored mental health care for older SV victims is necessary. Therefore, capacity building of professionals, and development of clinical guidelines and care procedures are important.


2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1749-1770 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIRPI TIMONEN ◽  
MARTHA DOYLE

ABSTRACTThis paper examines life-long singlehood and its ramifications in old age among women and men in Ireland. During the life-time of the 26 research participants, Ireland shifted from the Western European marriage pattern, characterised by high rates of singlehood, late marriage and high fertility, to declining prevalence of singlehood, higher marriage rates and lower fertility. In-depth interviews were analysed with the help of narrative analysis and grounded theory methods. We identified two main pathways into singlehood that had a long-term impact on the participants' lives. The women and men who had chosen singlehood associated this status with independence, self-fulfilment and autonomy throughout their lifecourse, including in old age. In contrast, older adults who had been constrained in their choice of marital status due to poverty, care work, family roles and cultural norms, expressed regret and dissatisfaction with their single status. In the latter group, the ramifications of the inability to actualise the roles of a spouse, parent and grandparent were particularly apposite in later life when many felt the absence of close ties and expressed loneliness. For some of the older adults who had been constrained in their choice of marital status in earlier life, the possibility of entering into a romantic relationship seemed more feasible in later life. How older adults interpret their pathway into the single status in earlier life impacts on relationship formation and life satisfaction in older age.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
CATHERINE A. MACLEOD ◽  
ANDY ROSS ◽  
AMANDA SACKER ◽  
GOPALAKRISHNAN NETUVELI ◽  
GILL WINDLE

ABSTRACTSocial exclusion is a dynamic multi-dimensional process that is interactive in nature. The complex interplay between domains, whereby each domain can act as a determinant, indicator and/or outcome of social exclusion, hinders understanding of the process and the mechanisms through which social exclusion exists. This article highlights the need to disentangle these pathways and move beyond descriptive accounts of social exclusion, presenting a new working framework that allows direct hypothesis testing of these between-domain relationships. Whilst this working framework can be applied to any population, this article focuses on older adults. Life events that can drive social exclusion such as bereavement and changes in health are more likely to occur in later life, and occur more frequently, increasing the risk of social exclusion for this population. Rooted in the new working framework, this article presents the construction of later life social exclusion measures for use with Understanding Society – the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study. The validity of these measures are considered by examining the characteristics of those aged 65 years and over who score the highest, and therefore experience the greatest level of exclusion. This new working framework and developed social exclusion measures provide a platform from which to explore the complex relationships between domains of social exclusion and ultimately provide a clearer understanding of this intricate multi-dimensional process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 2311-2337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran Walsh ◽  
Eamon O'Shea ◽  
Thomas Scharf

AbstractSocial exclusion amongst rural-dwelling older adults and the role of the diversity of people and places in mediating the construction of that exclusion has not been adequately investigated or conceptualised in the international literature. Consequently, how ageing in a rural community can function to disadvantage or protect older people remains poorly understood. With the aim of advancing conceptual understanding on rural old-age social exclusion, this article explores how exclusion is manifest in the lifecourse experiences of rural-dwelling older adults and the role of mediating factors in the construction of exclusion in different kinds of rural places. The analysis draws on ten rural case-study sites across Ireland and Northern Ireland, encompassing five kinds of rural communities: dispersed rural; remote rural; island rural; village rural; and near-urban rural. Data come from 106 interviews with older people ranging in age from 59 to 93 years. Rural old-age social exclusion is confirmed as a multi-dimensional construct, involving: social relations; service infrastructure; transport and mobility; safety, security and crime; and financial and material resources. This analysis demonstrates that social exclusion for rural-dwelling older people is multi-layered, and its prevalence and form is shaped by four mediating factors: individual capacities; lifecourse trajectories; place; and macro-economic forces. The findings are used to present a conceptual framework that emphasises the role of mediating forces on rural old-age social exclusion.


1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (6/7/8) ◽  
pp. 233-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Mathur ◽  
George P. Moschis ◽  
Euehun Lee

Social scientists, public policy makers, consumer researchers, and marketers have traditionally focused on age‐related differences to understand the behavior of older adults. This research focuses on the processes through which adults learn behavioral patterns and norms that characterize behavior in later life. The socialization framework is first presented as the process through which adults learn roles and norms for old age, and data from a national study are presented to test the hypotheses derived from this model. The results suggest that certain antecedents and processes are important in socializing adults to old age.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document