Connectedness in the Lives of Older People in Ireland
A Study of the Communal Participation of Older People in Two Geographic Localities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20386315 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Carmel Gallagher (Dublin Institute of Technology, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 84-102 |
| Publication date | 2012-05-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Irish Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0791-6035 • E-ISSN: 2050-5280 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.7227/ijs.20.1.5 |
| OpenAlex | W100868212 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 14 |
This paper presents an analysis of the connectedness of older people in two sample areas, one urban and one rural, in Ireland. The paper is based on a study of the communal participation of older people in two geographic localities; Rathmore, a suburban area of Dublin, and Rathbeg, a rural area in County Donegal, conducted between 2000 and 2005. A multi-stage study that used both qualitative and quantitative methods examined significant communal in teractions of older people across a range of arenas, including leisure interests, involvement in clubs, religious practices, voluntary work, relationships with kin, friends and neighbours, helping activities, use of social services and informal interactions in neighbourhoods and other communal settings. The paper describes their experiences of connectedness, explains how older people co-create and sustain communal ties and explores the significance of social practices and social groupings involved. The study demonstrated that among a diverse group of older adults engagement with others outside one's immediate family was a significant source of satisfaction and meaning in life. It provided evidence that place-based friendships are important contexts for the development of collective solidarities and transformative relationships. The paper underlines the contribution of older people to the lives of others, and argues that community should be understood as involving both place and type of relationship instead of a symbolic attachment to identities. The policy implications of the findings are also briefly considered
Interpersonal ties · Qualitative research · Social connectedness · Social science · Sociology · Transformative learning · Gender Studies · Health disparities and outcomes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology
To Meet, to Matter, and to Have Fun
Community well-being service supply to the urban elderly based on preferred sequence demand
The Role of Neighbourhood Social and Built Environments – Including Third Places – in Older Adults’ Social Interactions
Connection, inclusion, support, and transition
The people make it fun, the activities we do just make sure we turn up on time.” Factors influencing older adults’ participation in community-based group programmes in Perth, Western Australia
Social needs of older people
It gives you a reason to be in this world’
Older people as assets in disaster preparedness, response and recovery
Eating and ageing
Neighbours
The Symbolic Construction of Community
The Ideal of Community and the Politics of Difference
The Symbolic Construction of Community
A Comparison of Urban with Rural Support Networks
Do perceptions of neighbourhood environment influence health? Baseline findings from a British survey of aging
The Sociology of Community
| Citations per year | 0.75 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2014 - 2025 (12) |
| Highly cited | No |