Social Inclusion of Elderly People in Rural Areas by Social and Technological Mechanisms

This paper presents the result of the analysis of the data gathered from 20 Role Models (RM) case studies regarding their successful heritage-led rural regeneration models. For the study and comparison of the narratives of these Role Models two tools were used: the Community Capitals Framework, which studied the transference of capitals in each process and the identification of six Systemic Innovation Areas that allow this capital transference. A multilevel repository of best practices has been developed allowing the identification of common features, mechanisms for mobilisation of capitals and required resources that will facilitate the replication in other rural areas. The results of this work support the acknowledgement of the contribution of culture, together with cultural and natural heritage, to economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability in rural areas reinforcing the role of culture as the fourth pillar of sustainable development.

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Study of Accessibility to the Home of Dependent Elderly People in Rural Areas

Gerontechnology - Communications in Computer and Information Science ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-41494-8_26 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 259-265

Author(s):

Virginia Iglesias Moreno ◽

Pablo Sánchez-García ◽

Cristina Franco-Antonio ◽

Esperanza Santano-Mogena ◽

Yolanda Castaño-Blanco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Dependent Elderly

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Knowledge Provision Model Through Distance Learning Method for Promoting Quality of Life of the Elderly in Rural Areas of Thailand

Journal of Education and Learning ◽

10.5539/jel.v10n2p129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 129

Author(s):

Sumalee Sungsri

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Elderly People ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Social Relationship ◽

Elderly Care ◽

The Elderly ◽

Community Leaders ◽

The World ◽

Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

Thailand is becoming an elderly society like many countries in the world. The number of elderly people is increasing continuously every year. In order to enable the elderly to live with good quality of life in the rapidly changing society, knowledge and information related to their health and living factors are considered to be necessary for them. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to develop a model of knowledge provision for promoting quality of life of the elderly in rural areas of the country. The samples were drawn from every region of the country which included 480 elderly people, 480 elderly caretakers, and 160 people representing the community leaders, community committee members and staff of local government agencies. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed for data collection. The study found that there were five areas of knowledge for promoting quality of life of the elderly: physical health, mental health, social relationship, economic, and learning. The model of knowledge provision to the elderly synthesized from the study could enable the elderly to gain necessary knowledge deemed useful for promoting their quality of life. The elderly, the elderly care caretakers and related people were found to be satisfied with the model.

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The Effectiveness of Community Sports Provision on Social Inclusion and Public Health in Rural China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17020597 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 597

Author(s):

Qiu Chen ◽

Tianbiao Liu

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Rural China ◽

Household Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical Activities ◽

Level Data ◽

Community Sports ◽

Sanitary Conditions

It is well known that increasing participation in physical activities is not only positive for individual health promotion, but also beneficial for community-level public health by enhancing the individual’s social well-being by facilitating social inclusion. Although the provision of community sports affects participation in physical activities, the magnitude and direction of this effect are still not clear. Under this circumstance, this paper examined the effects of community sports provision on social inclusion and public health using the micro-level data from a household survey conducted in eight provinces of rural China. For the purpose of this paper, the degree of social inclusion was proxied by participation in community sports, while public health was measured by the probability of getting ill for members of each household. The empirical results show that community sports provision was partially effective in promoting inclusion and health in rural areas. Specifically, constructing public sports facilities significantly increases participation in community sports and decreases the risk of getting ill. In contrast, organizing public sports activities increases the opportunity for households to play sports. Nonetheless, it does not promote public health. Equally important is that economic growth (reflected in the increase in income level) may enhance public health through advancing medical technologies and improving sanitary conditions instead of encouraging participation in community sports.

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From Digital Divide to Social Inclusion: A Tale of Mobile Platform Empowerment in Rural Areas

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12062424 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 2424 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lisha Ye ◽

Huiqin Yang

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Information And Communication Technology ◽

Communication Technology ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Rural China ◽

Mobile Platform ◽

The World ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Practical Implications

The digital divide in rural areas is an important social issue, especially in developing countries. Although Internet and broadband penetration have increased in the world generally, there are many obstacles for rural China to get access to ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and its services. The mobile platform is regarded as a novel and effective tool to reduce the digital divide. Based on a case of one mobile platform, namely WeCountry in Chinese rural areas, this study illustrates how a mobile platform bridges the digital divide and helps rural areas achieve social inclusion. Results show that: (1) the mobile platform mainly acts on the digital capability divide elimination, and it has to guide and increase users’ usage capability; (2) the mobile platform can empower villagers in structural, psychological, and resource dimensions, achieving political inclusion, social participation inclusion, and economic inclusion; (3) platform providers and government are key organizations during the divide elimination process. This paper concludes with theoretical and practical implications.

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Nature-Based Interventions for Mental Health Care: Social Network Analysis as a Tool to Map Social Farms and their Response to Social Inclusion and Community Engagement

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16183501 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (18) ◽

pp. 3501 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marta Borgi ◽

Mario Marcolin ◽

Paolo Tomasin ◽

Cinzia Correale ◽

Aldina Venerosi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Social Network ◽

Social Network Analysis ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Local Communities ◽

Social Farming

Social farming represents a hybrid governance model in which public bodies, local communities, and economic actors act together to promote health and social inclusion in rural areas. Although relational variables are crucial to foster social farm performance, the relational system in which farms are embedded has still not been fully described. Using social network analysis, here we map the nature of the links of a selected sample of social farms operating in Northern Italy. We also explore possible network variations following specific actions taken to potentiate local social farming initiatives. The results show a certain degree of variability in terms of the extension and features of the examined networks. Overall, the actions taken appear to be significant to enlarge and diversify farms’ networks. Social farming has the potential to provide important benefits to society and the environment and to contrast vulnerability in rural areas. Being able to create social and economic networks of local communities, social farming may also represent an innovative way to respond to the cultural shift from institutional psychiatry to community-based mental health care. This study emphasizes the critical role played by network facilitation in diversifying actors, promoting heterogeneous relationships, and, in turn, system complexity.

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Health service inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic among elderly people living in large urban and non-urban areas in Florida, USA

SAGE Open Medicine ◽

10.1177/2050312120974168 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 205031212097416

Author(s):

Xinhua Yu

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Elderly People ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Metropolitan Areas ◽

Elderly Women ◽

Logistic Models ◽

Emergency Department Visits ◽

Hospitalization Rates ◽

Adjusted Incidence

Objective: Health inequalities were often exacerbated during the emerging epidemic. This study examined urban and non-urban inequalities in health services among COVID-19 patients aged 65 years or above in Florida, USA, from 2 March to 27 May 2020. Methods: A retrospective time series analysis was conducted using individual patient records. Multivariable Poisson’s and logistic models were used to calculate adjusted incidence of COVID-19 and the associated rates of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Results: As of 27 May 2020, there were 13,659 elderly COVID-19 patients (people aged 65 years or above) in Florida and 14.9% of them died. Elderly people living in small metropolitan areas might be less likely to be confirmed with COVID-19 infection than those living in large metropolitan areas. The emergency department visit and hospitalization rates decreased significantly across metropolitan statuses for both men and women. Those patients living in small metropolitan or rural areas were less likely to be hospitalized than those living in large metropolitan areas (35% and 34% vs 41%). Elderly women aged 75 years or above living in rural areas had 113% higher adjusted incidence of COVID-19 than those living in large metropolitan areas, and the rates of hospitalizations were lower compared with those counterparts living in large metropolitan areas (29% vs 46%; odds ratio: 0.37 (0.25–0.54), p < 0.001). Conclusion: For elderly people living in Florida, USA, those living in small metropolitan or rural areas were less likely to receive adequate health care than those living in large or medium metropolitan areas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Importance of Public Transport for Mobility and Everyday Activities among Rural Residents

Social Sciences ◽

10.3390/socsci8020058 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 58 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jessica Berg ◽

Jonas Ihlström

Keyword(s):

Public Transport ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Contemporary Society ◽

Everyday Activities ◽

Transport Services ◽

Time Space ◽

Rural Dwellers

A lack of transport opportunities has been shown to be a barrier for accessibility and social inclusion in contemporary society. In rural and sparsely populated areas, access to public transport is often poor compared to urban areas, leading to fewer possibilities to participate in normal relationships and activities among rural dwellers. Based on qualitative interviews with rural dwellers in Sweden, the aim of this study was to explore how access to transport can meet the needs of mobility and activity participation in everyday life and how different modes of transport are being used. The study has been permeated by the time-geographical perspective, which considers people’s use of time and space and the restrictions they face in order to carry out activities, including travel. The results show that travel by private car plays a central role in realizing everyday activities for rural dwellers, as well as a perception of the car as being the norm in contemporary society. Frequent car use is the consequence of a combination of time-space restrictions, habit, and a lack of services, activities, and public transport in rural areas. Poor public transport services limit children’s and adolescents’ independent mobility in particular. Further, the physical environment influences the ability to use public transport, for example if roads and bus stops are seen as unsafe. Based on the results of the study, several measures and improvements are proposed that could increase mobility and accessibility in rural areas and reduce car dependency.

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Creative Chinese Countryside? Township-Village Enterprises as Incubators

Built Heritage ◽

10.1186/bf03545720 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 72-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mengchuan Liu ◽

Yi-Wen Wang ◽

Christian Nolf

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Rural China ◽

Creative Industries ◽

Cultural Meanings ◽

Creative People ◽

Public And Private ◽

Economic Entity ◽

Industrial Complexes ◽

Western Ireland

AbstractSince the turn of the century, creative industries have displayed considerable power in transforming the social and economic landscapes of most global metropolises, including such Chinese mega-cities as Beijing and Shanghai. However, the story of creative industries does not end there. Recent studies have focused on the role of creative sector in the countryside. It has been argued that the creative sector can effectively contribute to diversifying socio-economic development in rural areas by increasing employment, enhancing the quality of life, and promoting social inclusion and community development. With the aim to chart new paths for China’s rural revitalisation and address the country’s ‘three rural issues’ (i.e. agriculture, rural areas and farmers), this paper examines the potentials and challenges to developing the creative sector in rural China. It first reviews the academic debate about expanding the development of creative industries from urban to rural areas. Drawing on the research and classification of creative industries in rural Western Ireland, this study identifies industries characterised by ‘content creation and production’ and ‘creative design services’, which would have potential in rural China. The major impediments to and crucial factors for developing rural creative industries in China are investigated and appraised within the framework of ‘creative people, creative place, and creative support’. After analysing emerging practices in Jiangsu Province, this paper highlights the potential of abandoned industrial complexes in rural parts of China’s coastal regions, which can act as incubators for creative industries. Those former manufacturing plants are the remains of township-village enterprises (TVEs), which constituted part of China’s flagship policy for rural regeneration in the 1980s. Not only do they have special architectural attributes favourable for creative production, but also represent the socio-economic entity of the village collective and are the carriers of cultural meanings and memories. This paper concludes with a set of recommendations for both public and private sectors. It calls for a more proactive stance from governments to promote the creative sector in rural areas and revitalise rural economies and communities through the reuse or regeneration of former TVEs.

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