Chris Phillipson, Miriam Bernard, Judith Phillips and Jim Ogg, The Family and Community Life of Older People: Social Networks and Social Support in Three Urban Areas, Routledge, London and New York, 2000, 304 pp., hbk £50.00, ISBN 0 415 20530 1, pbk £15.99, ISBN 0 415 20531 X.

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-396
Author(s):  
ANNE MARTIN-MATTHEWS
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
New York ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Community Life ◽  
The Family

The family and community life of older people: household composition and social networks in three urban areas

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRIS PHILLIPSON ◽  
MIRIAM BERNARD ◽  
JUDITH PHILLIPS ◽  
JIM OGG
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Considerable Change ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Community Studies ◽  
Family Structures ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Impact

The post-war period has witnessed considerable change in England affecting family structures and social relationships both within, and between, the generations. In this paper, we report on research which has examined the impact of these changes on the lives of older people. Three urban areas: Bethnal Green and Woodford in London, and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, are the locations for this project. All three were the subject of classic community studies in the 1940s and 1950s, providing rich material about the family and community life of older people. Using these as a baseline, we have examined changes to the social and family networks of older people over the intervening years. Our research comprised a questionnaire-based survey of 627 older people, followed-up one year later by a series of in-depth interviews with 62 people over the age of 75 (and 19 second generation members in their networks). We also undertook 35 interviews with Indian and Bangladeshi elders in Wolverhampton and Bethnal Green. Findings reported concern the living arrangements of older people and their relationships with network members. In particular, we note the marked trend towards solo living or living in married pairs amongst the white population, and the importance of multi-generation households amongst the two minority ethnic groups. Together with the enduring importance of family and the significance of friends, there are also crucial differences, notably in the ways people maintain contact with members of their networks.

Aging Alone, Gossiping Together: Older Adults’ Talk as Social Glue

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 1474-1482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy Torres
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
New York ◽  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Emotional Intimacy ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The Social ◽  
Formal Organizations ◽  
Negative Reputation

AbstractObjectivesWhile older adults living alone face challenges to maintaining social ties, elders in urban areas also have unique opportunities for daily socializing that can buffer against loneliness.MethodDrawing on 5 years of ethnographic fieldwork among elders in New York City, this study presents empirical insights into the development of supplementary neighborhood-based networks of support for older people living alone and vulnerable to isolation.ResultsThis study finds that elders who lived alone, without close kin, engaged in daily gossip about other older people they encountered as regulars in local eateries. Despite its negative reputation, gossip helped them connect and access less conventional social support close to home. The majority resisted formal organizations, such as churches or senior centers, and thus their interactions in public venues served as an important source of social involvement. In line with Gluckman’s argument (1963), gossip betrayed emotional intimacy and caretaking that connected people who could have fallen off the social radar.DiscussionHigher rates of divorce and lifelong singlehood, coupled with increased longevity, will compel greater numbers of older adults to construct alternative support networks. My findings suggest that more will draw these connections from unconventional venues such as neighborhood public places.

scholarly journals The Social Environment’s Relationship With Frailty: Evidence From Existing Studies

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daan Duppen ◽  
Michaël C. J. Van der Elst ◽  
Sarah Dury ◽  
Deborah Lambotte ◽  
Liesbeth De Donder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Family

Increasingly, policymakers assume that informal networks will provide care for frail older people. While the literature has mainly discussed the role of the family, broader social networks are also considered to be important. However, these social networks can diminish in later life. This systematic review investigates whether the social environment increases the risk of frailty or helps to prevent it. Findings from 15 original studies were classified using five different factors, which denoted five dimensions of the social environment: (a) social networks, (b) social support, (c) social participation, (d) subjective neighborhood experience, and (e) socioeconomic neighborhood characteristics. The discussion highlights that the social environment and frailty are indeed related, and how the neighborhood dimensions and social participation had more consistent results than social support and social networks. Conclusively, recommendations are formulated to contemplate all dimensions of the social environment for further research examining frailty and community care.

The Effects of Types of Social Networks, Perceived Social Support, and Loneliness on the Health of Older People

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 887-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Stephens ◽  
Fiona Alpass ◽  
Andy Towers ◽  
Brendan Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Older People ◽  
Perceived Social Support
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