What shapes older adults’ experiences of social participation in cities?

Details

The age-friendly cities and communities movement focuses on supporting older adults to age well in urban environments. Meaningful social participation is central to agendas for ageing well and active ageing. The benefits of social participation in old age are well documented, and studies of community-dwelling older adults have examined neighbourhood qualities that help or hinder engagement. However, how older adults construct and negotiate social participation in everyday urban environments has been largely unexplored.

To address this gap, researchers presented findings from 104 interviews with older adults living in three cities and nine neighbourhoods in the United Kingdom. The research generated three themes: constructing meaningful social participation in old age, negotiating access to social participation, and navigating home and community.

Across these themes, the paper describes social participation as involving interconnected physical, psychological and social processes experienced across settings including the home, outdoor spaces and community facilities. It concludes by discussing the findings’ practical implications, particularly for delivering age-friendly communities.