Revisiting the Role of Neighbourhood Change in Social Exclusion and Inclusion of Older People
Open Access
- 13 October 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in Journal of Aging Research
- Vol. 2012, 1-12
- https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/148287
Abstract
Objective. To explore how older people who are “aging in place” are affected when the urban neighbourhoods in which they are aging are themselves undergoing socioeconomic and demographic change. Methods. A qualitative case study was conducted in two contrasting neighbourhoods in Montréal (Québec, Canada), the analysis drawing on concepts of social exclusion and attachment. Results. Participants express variable levels of attachment to neighbourhood. Gentrification triggered processes of social exclusion among older adults: loss of social spaces dedicated to older people led to social disconnectedness, invisibility, and loss of political influence on neighbourhood planning. Conversely, certain changes in a disadvantaged neighbourhood fostered their social inclusion. Conclusion. This study thus highlights the importance of examining the impacts of neighbourhood change when exploring the dynamics of aging in place and when considering interventions to maintain quality of life of those concerned.Funding Information
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (410-2008-0224)
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Local state policy and ‘new‐build gentrification’ in Montréal: the role of the ‘population factor’ in a fragmented governance contextPopulation, Space and Place, 2010
- Gentrification: What It Is, Why It Is, and What Can Be Done about ItGeography Compass, 2008
- How do objective and subjective assessments of neighbourhood influence social and physical functioning in older age? Findings from a British survey of ageingSocial Science & Medicine, 2007
- Fighting for ControlUrban Affairs Review, 2007
- The ‘elected’ and the ‘excluded’: sociological perspectives on the experience of place and community in old ageAgeing and Society, 2007
- Ethnic Packaging and GentrificationUrban Affairs Review, 2005
- Spaces for inquiry into the role of place for older people's careJournal of Clinical Nursing, 2005
- New-Build ‘Gentrification’ and London's Riverside RenaissanceEnvironment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 2005
- Discrepancies between personal income and neighbourhood status: effects on physical and mental healthEuropean Journal of Ageing, 2005
- Ageing and person–environment fit in different urban neighbourhoodsEuropean Journal of Ageing, 2005