Jim Ogg

Social exclusion and insecurity among older Europeans: the influence of welfare regimes

This paper explores social exclusion among older Europeans from ten different countries with three types of welfare regime: Nordic, Mediterranean and post-socialist. Data from the first round of the new European Social Survey are used to explore indicators of social exclusion. A measure of social exclusion and insecurity is constructed from indicators of: the regularity of meeting with friends and relatives, taking part in social activities, self-rated physical health and mental health, self-rated income, and the quality of the local area. The results confirm the findings of previous research that show a link between developed welfare regimes and low rates of social exclusion in old age. At the same time, more developed welfare regimes appear to deal less well with the effects of separation and divorce. The Mediterranean welfare regimes show distinctive signs of stress, which suggests that the supplementation or replacement of weakened immediate and extended family ties has not taken place. In all countries, a higher level of education appears to play a crucial role in reducing the chances of being insecure or socially excluded in old age.

Older people's experiences of community life: patterns of neighbouring in three urban areas

This paper examines changes to the community life of older people living in three urban areas of England: Bethnal Green, Wolverhampton and Woodford. All three were the subject of classic community studies in the 1940s and 1950s, these providing rich material about the lives of groups such as elderly people. Using this earlier research as a baseline, the paper presents data on how the experience of living in urban neighbourhoods has changed for older people in the intervening years. The article reviews the relationship between elderly people and their neighbours, drawing on quantitative as well as qualitative data. In conclusion, the paper identifies a number of general arguments pointing to the value of a community and locality perspective for understanding the impact of social changes on later life.

Moving beyond ‘ageing in place’: older people's dislikes about their home and neighbourhood environments as a motive for wishing to move

ABSTRACT Ageing in place has been promoted by policy makers as the optimal residential solution for later life, premised on older peoples reluctance to contemplate relocation, their declining residential mobility and high levels of residential satisfaction. This paper takes a critical perspective to the notion of ageing in place by examining older peoples dislikes about, rather than levels of satisfaction with their home and neighbourhood environments, and establishing whether such dislikes influence a desire to move. Analysis of the 2004 Living in Wales Survey shows that despite high levels of residential satisfaction, a significant proportion of older people do wish to move. Logistic regression results indicate this desire is strongly associated with dislikes about their immediate home environment, more than neighbourhood factors. Contemplating a move in later life may be shaped more by a desire to ‘attach’ to people, than to remain in situ to preserve an attachment to place.

Researching Elder Abuse

There is a growing interest among several disciplines in the phenomenon of the abuse of elderly people (elder abuse). This article examines how elder abuse is being constructed as a social problem and the particular conceptual difficulties which sets elder abuse apart from other forms of family violence. American elder abuse research findings are discussed focusing upon the difficulties of developing indicators of ‘abuse’ and the consequent problems of comparing findings. A lack of British research on elder abuse is noted and this deficit is examined with reference to the methodological and ethical issues of researching a sensitive topic. The way in which the research process interacts with and influences our understanding of elder abuse is examined in the light of these considerations. The article concludes with a call for greater awareness of these issues in future research on elder abuse.

Continuity and change in the family and community life of older people

The research reported here examines the family and community networks of elderly people living in three urban areas of England: Bethnal Green (an inner-city area of London), Wolverhampton (a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands), and Woodford (a northeastern suburb of London). These were the locations for landmark community-based studies in the 1940s and 1950s. The present study shows that although most older people still have kinship-based networks, the ways in which kinship is experienced—especially concerning the interchange of care and support—are different. Relationships between the generations have altered, with support more often being located within a framework of equality and mutual reciprocity. Predictably, too, retirement is now more common, with leisure activities being much more central to the lives of older people. The study raises questions about how policy and practice now need to respond to what is a much more complex and dynamic experience of the family and community lives of older people.

Home environments and adaptations in the context of ageing

ABSTRACT ‘Ageing in place’ initiatives form an important part of broader ‘ageing well’ strategies that are being developed in response to demographic change. Increasingly, it is acknowledged that it is important to understand how individuals shape and modify the space within their own home and immediate environment to facilitate flexible solutions in the event of a loss of independence. The research presented here aims to understand how individuals construct the space both within their own home and their immediate surroundings and how this construction is linked to their own perception of ageing and growing old. A thematic analysis of 28 qualitative interviews resulted in two differentiated responses in relation to home adaptations: those respondents who had acted to modify their home and environment and those who instead sought to delay or ‘put off’ any modifications. The results demonstrate the multi-dimensional experience of ageing, the diversity of types of home environment, and the interplay between compensatory solutions and the social contexts within which they take place. The need for a more holistic approach that takes into account factors such as an individuals experience of ageing is suggested in order to understand the use of space in home environments and the adaptations that are made to them. Policy initiatives for ‘ageing in place’ can be reinforced by closer user involvement.

Social gerontology in France: historical trends and recent developments

Social gerontology, as a distinct discipline, has been slower to develop in France than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Gerontological discourses have been dominated by the medical and physical sciences. At the same time, France has a long tradition of research on ageing that incorporates important social dimensions, particularly in demographic and economic fields. Current developments include research on pensions and related issues such as early-retirement or older people in the labour force; inter-generational relations or family solidarity; disabled elderly people and caring; and ageing among ethnic minority populations. These developments point in the direction of co-ordinated, multi-disciplinary approaches to the life course and ageing in the future.

Baby boomers and their entourage

The post-war generation of baby boomers has witnessed major transformations in family life as well as being at the vanguard of them. A study undertaken in Paris and London in 2006 among 90 individuals born between 1945 and 1954 reveals, however, strong relationships with ageing parents and adult children. Family groups based on local or dispersed entourages, with regular contact and the exchange of support, are clearly identified. Other configurations include families where affective ties persist but contact between the baby boomers and their entourage is less frequent. Few baby boomers have replaced family members with friends or remain socially isolated. These results show that the rise of individualism associated with the baby boomers has not weakened inter-generational ties, although tensions exist between the demands of family solidarity and individual projects.

The Baby Boomers’ Childhood

This chapter retraces the childhood of the baby boomers. It shows how the children of the baby boom were brought up in a context of housing shortages and a general lack of material comfort. However, significant improvements in social conditions were made during their childhood, such as the arrival of household appliances. The chapter demonstrates the authoritarian upbringing of the baby boomers and notably the strict education in France. The greater accessibility of education during the period of the baby boomers’ childhood is also presented. In summary, the baby boomers’ youth was the product of these breaks and continuities with the past that occurred in the course of their parents’ and grandparents’ lives. Emerging from a period of austerity, the baby boomers contributed to the consumer society, becoming the founding members of a youth culture. After a comfortable adolescence, they entered the adult world with confidence in their strength and number.

Caught Between Parents and Children

This chapter examines the pivotal place of the baby boomers in the family generational structure. It shows how baby boomer parents remain closely involved in their adult childrens’ lives. At the same time, difficulties for children in establishing themselves into adult life impact on family relationships. Parents experience ‘boomerang’ children, who return to live in the parental home after having encountered difficulties in finding work and accommodation. The baby boomers remain closely involved in the lives of their ageing parents, although mostly through a sense of duty and obligation. Different types of relationships between the baby boomers and their ageing parents are presented, where some are actively involved in caring for their parents, whilst others are disengaged.