bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grandparenthood and the Mental Health of Grandparents
Authors: Kivnick Helen Q.
Published: November 2008

Although general family involvement is heralded as critically important for the elderly, the importance of the specific family involvement of grand-parenthood remains surprisingly little understood. The present study integrates qualitative and quantitative methodologies: 11 grandparents completed a series of five open-ended interviews, 19 grandparents participated in single open-ended interviews, and 286 grandparents completed lengthy quantitative questionnaires. In contrast to previous studies reporting that there is little relationship between grandparenthood experience and life satisfaction, current findings indicate that grandparenthood serves a compensatory function with respect to life satisfaction and morale, particularly for those individuals who are most deprived and who have fewest sources of satisfaction. Ageing persons seem to use grandparenthood to enhance their mental health; in grandparenting they capitalize on their existing strengths and re-work existing weaknesses.
Consistency in Adult Functioning: The Influence of Social Stress
Authors: Chiriboga David A.
Published: November 2008

Guided by three models of adult development, this paper both describes and predicts change in several dimensions of personal functioning, based on a study of 216 men and women who in 1969 were high school seniors, newlyweds, middle-aged parents, and pre-retirees. They were re-interviewed two, five, seven and eleven years later. From the descriptive phase of analysis a number of changes were found, especially among measures of specific emotional experiences, medical visits, and positive life events. The results also indicated that general statements about stability and change can be misleading.

In the predictive phase, hierarchical set multiple regression statistics demonstrated that two of the more commonly studied dependent variables, symptomatology and happiness, follow different pathways. Stressful life events proved to be strong predictors of both dependent variables for both men and women.
Ageing, Development and Social Service Delivery Systems in Latin America: Problems and Perspectives
Authors: Tapia-Videla Jorge I. , Parrish Charles J.
Published: November 2008

Economic development in Latin America has facilitated the broadening and improvement of governmental services in public health, social security and public administration. These improvements, particularly in public health, have precipitated changes in rates of morbidity and mortality. Many countries have also experienced a fall in birth rates during this period. The result of people living longer and having fewer children is a progressive ageing of Latin American societies. This article explores some critical questions posed by the ageing of populations in these societies. Within the context of varying patterns of national development, special emphasis is placed on the systemic potential for politico-administrative response in the area of social and health services.
Structural Antecedents of Psychoactive Drug Use Among the Elderly
Authors: Green Brent
Published: November 2008

Current literature on the over use of psychoactive drugs by elderly people suggests that alienation, poverty, rolelessness and lack of drug experience in earlier life are principal causes. But these are mainly empirical observations which have not been ordered into any theoretical framework. In proposing the applicability of the concept of ‘internal colonialism’ as a mode of explanation, the paper presents a survey of drug use prevalence as a basis for later conceptual analysis. It is concluded that drug misuse is an institutionalized response which perpetuates dependency.
Economic Crisis and Old Age
Authors: Gaullier Xavier
Published: November 2008

In France, owing to the current economic crisis, a new old age has emerged consisting of individuals of 50 to 65 years, not yet retired, unemployed and definitively excluded from the world of work, thereby representing a new category of population, whom we will henceforth refer to as the early-terminated. The political, psychological and behavioural responses of the socio-economic sub-groups within this category are analysed from the author's research findings in the iron and steel and textile industries.

The second part of this article attempts to situate this particular group within a changing framework of ideologies on the nature of old age, and on policies for the management of industrial change, for retirement and for the elderly. The author distinguishes three definitions of old age in France, from his own empirical studies in specific regions (Grenoble, Paris) and on state policy since 1945. In the first (post-war) period, old age became ‘retirement’; in the second (19605 and early 19705), ‘the third age’; in the third (present period), old age is being defined by economic forces and factors.
Ageing in Rural Communities: Family Contacts and Community Integration
Authors: Wenger G. Clare
Published: November 2008

Based on a study of the elderly in rural communities, the paper makes comparisons with data from more urban studies in the U.K. The findings indicate that while availability of and contact with family members is comparable, satisfaction with the amount of contact is considerably higher in the rural context. This higher level of satisfaction holds even for retired migrants who have less contact. It is suggested that satisfaction may be higher because needs for contact are met by a greater variety of other forms of association and support. The data demonstrate that the rural elderly do in fact have higher levels of contact with neighbours; are more likely to belong to voluntary associations; are more likely to belong to a religious group and to be visited by the clergy, and are more likely to become involved in sparetime activities which enhance the likelihood for social contact. Dependency on family, therefore, appears to be lower. While rural communities do not appear to preserve family cohesion, opportunities for community integration are enhanced and are reflected in higher levels of satisfaction.
Research with elderly people in long-term care: some social and organisational factors affecting psychological interventions
Authors: Davies Ann D. M.
Published: November 2008

The problems of introducing change in long-term care settings for elderly people are discussed in relation to social, psychological and organisational factors operating within the institution. It is argued that the poor maintenance and generalisation of many behavioural interventions is in part due to researchers adopting too narrow a framework. Four issues are discussed and illustrated: 1. The role of the researcher in relation to care staff. 2. Relationships with elderly patients. 3. Change as criticism. 4. Conflicting policies within the institution.
Classifications of the elderly population
Authors: Jolliffe I. T. , Jones B. , Knapp M. R. J. , Morgan B. J. T.
Published: November 2008

To the existing ways of categorizing elderly individuals we here add a reasonably objective approach using recent survey data and statistical methods of multivariate analysis. The groupings obtained have been surprisingly clear-cut, so that simple rules can be devised for discriminating between clusters. We suggest this analysis as a useful way of gleaning information about elderly people, information which may help in the efficient allocation of services.
Cross Cultural Differences on the Facts on Ageing Quiz
Authors: Romeis James C. , Sussman Marvin B.
Published: November 2008

This report, using the ‘Facts on Ageing Quiz’ developed by Erdman Palmore as a measure, compares responses from US (N=206) and Japan (N=591) samples, thus adding a cross cultural dimension to the literature on age bias measurement. The scale taps for ‘facts’ and indirectly obtains evaluations of stereotypes and attitudes. The data indicate the FAQ is a reliable measure but the validity of the measure's age bias dimension is more complex than previously indicated. Contrary to normative expectations, the Japanese responses indicate a negative age bias that has implications for social norms which affect Japan's elderly.
The Social Construction of Ageing through Work: Economic Structure and Life-world
Authors: Kohli Martin , Rosenow Joachim , Wolf Jürgen
Published: November 2008

The analysis of modern-age stratification systems must be based on the social organisation of work. This requires a theoretical approach that takes into account the structure of economic production, but also the fact that work is a meaningful activity of human beings within their life-world. The task therefore consists of integrating ‘materialist’ and ‘interpretive’ approaches to social reality. This integration is attempted in an examination of the special problems encountered by workers in the second half of their work life, as created by the ‘construction of ageing’ in the industrial firm. Existing approaches drawn from industrial sociology, stress structural features of the production process, whilst labelling theory stresses culturally induced age labels. Both are one-sided. A more comprehensive approach has to conceptualise the industrial firm as an actor with strategies based on economic rationality and as a life-world constituted by what is taken for granted by its members. The final section applies this framework to an empirical case study.
Elderly South Asians in Britain: A survey of relevant literature and themes for future research
Authors: Mays Nicholas
Published: November 2008

The number of elderly Commonwealth South Asian immigrants in Britain originating from the Indian sub-continent will grow substantially in the next few years, yet there has been little consideration of this group in terms of academic social research. Indeed, welfare agencies are only beginning to become aware of the possible needs of this group. A survey of the scanty British literature on elderly ethnic minorities reveals the paucity of existing knowledge. However, studies from other countries, notably Japan and the U.S.A., suggest a number of illuminating areas for research. The presence of a culturally distinct Asian ethnic minority group experiencing ageing in British conditions appears to afford a good opportunity to throw further light on an important aspect of gerontological theory: namely the respective weight to be attached to cultural factors, social structure and the degree of societal modernisation in shaping the ageing process of individuals and groups.
Definitions of Friendship and their Consequences in Old Age
Authors: Matthews Sarah H.
Published: November 2008

In an attempt to gauge the quality of relationships, definitions of friendship were delineated through inductive analysis of transcripts of guided conversations with 30 men and 30 women aged 60 + who related their biographies using friendships as a constant referent. Two definitions of friendship were constructed, one which focuses on ‘friends as particular individuals’ and another which focuses on ‘friends as relationships’. Each is described in turn, followed by a discussion of the consequences of holding one or the other or both in old age. Suggestions for intervention strategies tailored to specific definitions are made.
Women and Ageing: Experience and Implications
Authors: Harrison Jo
Published: November 2008

A feminist analysis of the experiences of elderly Australian women is explored through sixteen biographical accounts. Through the employment of narrative material a classification of the powerful stereotyping imposed upon these women is produced. The components of the stereotype are gathered together under three headings - social, physical and mental.
An Alternative Perspective on Retirement a Dual Economic Approach
Authors: Hendricks Jon , McAllister Cathy E.
Published: November 2008

A structural model for examining retirement is presented in the context of a political economy of ageing. Contemporary capitalist economies may be conceived of in terms of macro-level organisation which results in a monopolistic core and competitive peripheral sectors. In turn this configuration serves to colour individual life-experience. Data on differential worker- and work-related characteristics are presented as a means of explicating the need for an alternative perspective to explain later life events. A proposed research agenda based on a consideration of both the status attainment and dual economic framework is put forward.
Economic Dependency in the 1980s: Its impact on Third World Elderly
Authors: Neysmith Sheila M. , Edwardh Joey
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this paper is to explore an alternative perspective for understanding individual and societal ageing within the context of global economic and social relations. The dependent status of Third World nations as a result of the process of capital accumulation is examined. It is argued that the manner in which Third World nations respond to the human needs of their old is subject to the relationship that entwines Third World and capitalist industralised nations. Moreover, it is argued that social policy and human service models are nurtured by the ideology underlying these economic relations. The assumptions behind two policy areas are examined. When diffused to Third World nations such social policies function to maintain national elites at the expense of the majority. In conclusion, questions are raised about the relevance of western models of ageing to the needs of old people in the Third World.
Nurses' Typifications of Nursing Home Patients
Authors: Gilliland Nancy , Brunton Anne
Published: November 2008

Previous studies of the attitudes of nursing staff towards patients in hospitals have suggested that those who were mentally alert, young, acutely ill and in need of medical (not custodial) care, middle class, appreciative and co-operative were labelled ‘good’. Conversely the old, the poor, the chronically ill and the mentally disturbed were labelled ‘bad’. In the study reported here, of a single nursing home situated in the American midwest, these stereotypes are shown not to operate. A subset of these attitudes is none the less to be found which rewards cheerfulness, wittiness and appreciativeness. Favouritism amongst patients is examined as a significant influence on the care of residents who are all elderly and long-term sick.
Partial Pension Scheme Insights from the Swedish Partial Pensions Scheme
Authors: Blyton Paul
Published: November 2008

Among the changes occurring in patterns of working time there is evidence of a growing interest in ‘phased’ or ‘partial’ retirement, which seeks to ease the transition between work and retirement.

Though a small number of companies in other countries have introduced this option, Sweden is unique in operating partial retirement on a national scale. The development of the Swedish partial pension scheme, since its introduction in 1976, is examined and reactions of older workers and employers reviewed.

The final section draws a number of conclusions from the Swedish experience and considers some of the obstacles to the more widespread development of partial retirement.
The Cost of Residential Care for the Elderly: The Effects of Dependency, Design and Social Environment
Authors: Darton Robin , Knapp Martin
Published: November 2008

Despite the important role played by cost considerations in policy decisions regarding services for the elderly there has been relatively little reliable research on this topic. A large nationally representative survey of old people's homes conducted by the Personal Social Services Research Unit in England and Wales in 1981 provides a firm foundation for the careful examination of the cost of residential care. Focusing on residential homes in the public sector, the cost function analyses reported in this paper have a number of policy implications. The empirical results help to explain cost inflation and allow the prediction of future cost trends, they inform ‘balance of care’ discussions and inter-authority and inter-sectoral comparisons, and they provide evidence on the cost implications of scale, group-living design, day care and sheltered housing. Finally, the relationship between cost and social environment (a central component in any quality of care assessment) is examined. The results suggest that there is no significant association between the two.
Housing Tenure and Generational Equity
Authors: Kendig Hal. L.
Published: November 2008

Home ownership is one of the principal ways of redistributing income over the life cycle. Older people who have bought homes during their working years have a substantial asset which cushions the financial shock of reduced income in old age. But those who have never been able to buy can be hard pressed as housing costs continue at high levels. This article examines the financial impacts of home ownership on inter- and intra-generational equity in Australia, Britain and the United States. It begins by showing how access to home-ownership has been influenced by the opportunities available to different social classes in different periods of history. After identifying the financial situation of older owners and tenants, the discussion considers how public policies toward housing tenure further reduce age-related inequalities yet increase them within the aged. The transfer of housing resources from older to younger generations is shown to perpetuate inequalities between generations and lineages. The paper concludes by exploring the policy implications of the increasing diversity in the resources of older people, and their improved economic circumstances relative to younger generations over the decades ahead.
Perceptions of Crime and Fear of Victimisation Among Elderly People
Authors: Clarke Alan H.
Published: November 2008

Most of the research into fear of crime among the elderly has been conducted in the United States of America particularly during the past ten years. This paper begins by summarising the major findings which have emerged from this work. Attention is then turned to similar studies which have recently been undertaken in Britain. The findings from a small sample survey of elderly residents in a town in the south of England are then reported. In discussing the data obtained from eighty interviews fear of crime is considered in relation to perceptions of crime, the amount of social contact residents have with relatives, friends and neighbours and the nature and quality of the immediate residential environment.
The Structured Dependence of the Elderly as a Recent Development: Some Sceptical Historical Thoughts
Authors: Smith Richard M.
Published: November 2008

There has recently emerged in the writings of those who have adopted an overtly ‘radical’ approach to social work and the welfare state, a coherent interpretation of how the status of older persons is lowered in the course of the development of industrial capitalism. The focus in these recent writings is on the social creation of dependent status and the structural determinants of the competitive relationship between elderly individuals and younger adults in the labour market. This paper reviews the arguments of this school of thought arguing firstly that it fails to take sufficient account of the longer term population history of England, suggesting that the contrast between the middle and later twentieth century and the nineteenth century is apparently so marked largely because of the atypicality of the latter period when high fertility and rapid demographic growth produced an historical minimum for the proportion of the elderly in the total population. A second failure in this recent radical or marxist research is that it also does not take sufficient account of the kinship system in north west Europe which appears to have created a situation of structured dependency of the elderly on the collectivity irrespective of the specific mode of production. Pre-industrial north west Europeans exhibited a striking contrast in this particular cultural trait with many, indeed most non-industrial societies outside Western Europe or regions populated by emmigrants from that area.
The Decline of Social Welfare: Falling State Support for the Elderly since Early Victorian Times
Authors: Thomson David
Published: November 2008

Current searchings for ways to trim a burgeoning social welfare budget come at the end of a long period of decline in the value of pensions. The social welfare benefits paid in Britain today are not as valuable, relative to the incomes of non-beneficiaries, as were the pensions paid during the first half of the twentieth century, and they are worth very much less than the allowances distributed by the nineteenth century Poor Law. Demographic changes, including the growing numbers of elderly persons, the movement of elderly persons towards living alone, the decline in household size, and the return of large numbers of women to the paid workforce, have overtaken the Welfare State, which has failed to develop a programme for redistributing resources between the generations.
Residential Isolation of the Elderly: A Comparison over Time
Authors: Wall Richard
Published: November 2008

Since 1962 there has been a marked increase in the number of elderly people in Britain living on their own. The present paper presents a detailed examination of the composition of households containing elderly persons in pre-industrial England, in 1962 and in 1980 in conjunction with an overview of the situation in a number of other European countries and in the United States. On the basis of this evidence it is argued that it is impossible to sustain the view of a linear progression from pre-industrial times when the elderly lived with their children to modern times when they live on their own. The final section takes up the question of the variation in the residence patterns of pensioners in England and Wales in 1981 following from the region of residence and the type of property occupied by the household. The highest proportion of pensioners living on their own were found in the eastern half of the country, excluding London and the adjacent metropolitan area, but including Manchester. Pensioners who were owner-occupiers were more likely than council tenants to be living with 2 or more non-pensioners. On the other hand, only in the case of the private tenant did the nature of the tenure remove all trace of the regional variation and the inference was drawn that social class, occupation and local tradition were influencing the residence patterns independently of the effect of tenure.
Family Care of the Elderly in a Nineteenth-Century Devonshire Parish
Authors: Robin Jean
Published: November 2008

The focus of this paper is on the part played by children and relatives in the care of the elderly in a Devonshire parish in the mid-nineteenth century. The cohort of men and women aged 50–59 years recorded in the 1851 census was divided into two groups, according to whether or not the parish registers or censuses showed members to have had offspring who survived childhood. Cohort members and their families were then traced through the 1861 and 1871 censuses in order to establish their residence patterns at different stages in the life cycle. It was found that children, whether married or single, played a considerable part in providing care for their elderly parents. By contrast, relatives living in the same household as the elderly were more likely to be receiving than providing care. The possibility that a proportion of the cohort members who left the parish during the period did so to join children elsewhere was investigated through an examination of those of comparable age coming into the parish.
Age, Obsolescence and Unemployment, Older Men in the British Industrial System, 1920–1939: A Research Note
Authors: Riddle Stuart M.
Published: November 2008

The position of the older person in society as well as in the workforce is receiving an increasing amount of attention at the present time. However there is very little historical knowledge as to the forces which shaped the withdrawal of older persons from gainful economic activity earlier this century. The research outlined below explores some of the precedents which shaped contemporary attitudes towards older workers in general, and the relationship between age and unemployment in particular — during a period of low labour demand.
Policies to Promote Informal Social Care: Some Reflections on Voluntary Action, Neighbourhood Involvement, and Neighbourhood Care
Authors: Abrams Philip , Bulmer Martin
Published: November 2008

Policies to promote informal social care have particular importance for elderly people, since a substantial minority of them are in receipt of informal care from kin, neighbours and friends, and the majority of those living in their own homes who receive informal care are themselves elderly. Yet informal care has not had the attention it deserves, compared to care provided by statutory, commercial or organised voluntary effort. This paper focuses on neighbourhood care, drawing on the results of a five-year research programme. Three types of neighbourhood care are examined: voluntary action for neighbourhood involvement, voluntary action for informal care, and voluntary action for neighbourhood care. Neighbourhood involvement is increasingly a political matter, with local organisation tied to specific local issues. Informal care has little directly to do with local involvement. Nine-tenths of such care is provided by kin, though there is scope for greater local action. Voluntary action for neighbourhood care is encouraged particularly by pressure-group activism, self-help organisations and support for carers. Effective informal care requires a higher degree of competence and the establishment of contexts for reciprocity. Policies in this area need to provide modest financial resources, greater information exchange and support for carers.
Elderly People and Social Welfare in Zimbabwe
Authors: Hampson Joe
Published: November 2008

The ageing of Third World populations and its implications for planning in social welfare has received little attention in the literature until now. This article explores the need radically to alter Western models of care for elderly people in an African context, arguing that in situations of mass poverty and gross economic differentiation a concentration on social welfare for urban formal sector employees is inappropriate. Zimbabwe is used as a case study. The situation of the aged in Zimbabwe is analysed from existing but scanty data, and sets of policy proposals that have relevance to the national economy and to the rural, urban and commercial farming sectors are discussed.
‘Going Up’ or ‘Going Down’: The Status of Old People in an Australian Aboriginal Society
Authors: Reid Janice
Published: November 2008

Most statements about the treatment and fortunes of elderly Australian Aborigines have emphasised their wisdom and sanctity and the respect and affection due to elderly relatives. Ethnographic research among the Yolngu (Murngin) of Arnhem Land suggests that the actual situation of an old person depends on an interplay of structural, situational and individual factors, including personal qualities, family support, seniority, sex, ecology and land use patterns and the effects of white colonisation and social change. Cases are presented and discussed to illustrate the variable fortunes of old Aborigines and their determinants.
Issues Concerning Regimen Management in the Home
Authors: Corbin Juliet M. , Strauss Anselm L.
Published: November 2008

Older people, who have the major share of chronic illness, are also especially likely to encounter problems in carrying out regimens. The regimens themselves may be exhausting or complex. In addition, regimen management in the home takes place within a context characterised by personal and environmental, as well as illness related conditions. There is an interplay between this context and the illness management, giving rise often to problems of ‘overload’ and a ‘contest for control of management’. These may interfere not only with the management of regimens but have consequences for couples' personal lives and their marital relationships as well.
Belligerent Legends: Bickering and Feuding among Outport Octogenarians
Authors: Davis Donna Lee
Published: November 2008

In a southwest coast Newfoundland fishing village elderly outporters are accorded special licence to behave in ways considered inappropriate for younger generations. Capitalising on their status as folk heroes and heroines of traditional outport culture, older people challenge each other to redress old wrongs or actively create new issues for dispute. The entire family may reluctantly become involved in these imbroglios. This case study of a land feud between an elderly woman and man demonstrates how aggression is mediated by the structural confines of local sex roles and outport egalitarianism, which severely limit the potential of octogenarians' altercations to disrupt village life.
Parenthood and Marital Role Performance among Retired Workers: Comparison between Pre- and Post-retirement Period
Authors: Kremer Yael
Published: November 2008

In this study, Israeli parent, grandparent and marital role activities after retirement were compared with the retrospective evaluation of pre-retirement period. Data collected from 310 former industrial and service workers were examined within the context of family functioning after retirement. The findings reveal either an increase in or continuity of the family role activities under study, on the part of the retiree. There was no decline in involvement in parenthood and/or marital functioning.
Retirement Migration and its Consequences in England and Wales
Authors: Grundy Emily
Published: November 2008

Analyses are presented of data from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) Longitudinal Study; a record linkage study in which one per cent of the 1971 Census population has been followed up using routinely collected demographic data. The data set includes the 1981 Census records of sample members. The results show that between 1970–1 and 1980–1 there was a fall in migration in the retirement age groups. In both periods there were differentials in rates of migration, particularly between counties, according to variables such as tenure, economic position and Social Class. Tenure, marital status and economic position were together good predictors of male retirement migration 1970–1 but not of 1980–1 migration. The drop in migration rates between the two periods was greatest among the younger retired and owner occupiers.
The Emergence of the Third Age
Authors: Laslett Peter
Published: November 2008

This article is based upon a chapter in a book to be called Britain! Be Your Age! It begins with a discussion of schemes for dividing the life-course, describes the fresh division to which the title the Third Age belongs and refers briefly to a general theory of the Third Age. It is claimed that the Third Age as thus defined did not emerge in Britain and other Western countries until the 1950s, nor did it become a settled feature of their social structures until the 1980s. Expectation of life in a number of countries, developed and developing, is contrasted, and a comparison is undertaken between life expectation in the contemporary Third World and that in England in the historical past, that is since the early 16th century. It is concluded that contemporary developing societies have much longer life expectation than that in the English past, but markedly fewer elderly people. The implications of this for the modernisation theory in relation to ageing are drawn out, and the concept of modernisation shown to be unacceptable to historical sociologists. A Third Age Indicator (3AI) is then suggested, expressing the probability of a person of 25 years attaining 70 years. The Third Age is defined demographically in a two-fold way, as a condition of a population in which the general expectation of living from 25 to 70 is 0.5 or over for men, and so more for women, and of 10% or more of the whole population being over age 65. 3AIs for a number of contemporary countries are then presented, along with those for England since the 1540s. A list of countries demographically qualified on the two counts is then drawn up, along with the appropriate dates of their attaining that status.
Residential Care of Elderly People: The Consumers' Views
Authors: Wilkin David , Hughes Beverley
Published: November 2008

The characteristic features of institutional life can be found in all types of long-term hospitals and homes for old people. They occur in all countries despite radical differences in the structure of health and social care provision. This paper draws upon data from a study of British residential homes to present an account of institutional life from the consumers' perspective. Residents' views are drawn from open-ended interviews with 60 residents. They convey a complex mixture of feelings: gratitude, resentment, resignation, powerlessness, acceptance and dependence. The common expressions of boredom and loneliness reflect a poor quality of life for many residents. A surprising degree of tolerance was shown by lucid people towards those who had become confused. The authors argue that elderly residents are faced with a choice between an unpleasant battle to survive in their own homes and an equally unpleasant enforced dependence in the institution. The views of residents ought to be an important factor in the evaluation of institutional care.
The Kinship Network of the Rural Aged: A Comparison of the Indigenous Elderly and the Retired Inmigrant
Authors: Harper Sarah
Published: November 2008

Analysis of the kin support networks of rural elderly, resident in Staffordshire and Hampshire, indicated that the most important factor affecting both the patterns and relationships of the kin network is the residential mobility of the nuclear family and its members. The study revealed the importance of recognising three broad groupings of elderly: the indigenous aged, who typically possess an extended local kin network; the retired inmigrants who had relocated their households to be near kin; and the retired inmigrants without nearby kin. When these groupings are introduced the importance of the dichotomy between local/non-local kin and between former kin-separation/non-kin-separation becomes apparent. These dichotomies hold important implications for the family relationships of the rural elderly, for their use of the kin network and of the formal support system, and for their interaction with the wider community.
Physical Care and Quality of Life in Residential Homes
Authors: Hughes Beverley , Wilkin David
Published: November 2008

This article proposes that the quality of physical care is an important determinant of quality of life for dependent people. It begins by reporting the findings of a qualitative analysis of physical care in six local authority homes and suggests a framework for understanding the ways in which physical care practices evolved. The paper concludes by illustrating how the same framework can be used as a basis for improving the quality of physical care.
Early Retirement in Denmark
Authors: Møler Iver Hornemann
Published: November 2008

The Danish Early Retirement Pension Scheme (ERPS) introduced in 1979 was intended to contribute to the reproduction of the social order and to the legitimation of the welfare state. The first objective was not achieved. Nevertheless ERPS reduced total unemployment by about 20% and thereby contributed to the positive image of the welfare state.

Survey data show that the poorer the working conditions the stronger the probability that the eligible take early retirement. High rates of unemployment in industries with physically and psychologically onerous work increase the probability of early retirement. Taken together with employers' wishes for as large as possible a labour reserve and their ambivalent attitude to the total withdrawal of marginal workers, these findings render the debate about voluntary versus compulsory withdrawal from the labour market at best insignificant and at worse misleading.

At the same time, ERPS has brought some unintended but quite considerable improvements to the lives of many recipients. These include better self-assessed health, increased contacts with family and friends and new leisure activities. Recently, however, there is evidence of an increase in economic deprivation among recipients, and early retirement pension levels have not kept pace with rises in industrial earnings or the cost of living.
The Social Service Utilisation Behaviour of USA Mainland Puerto Rican Elderly: A Causal Model
Authors: Starrett Richard A. , Decker James T. , Araujo Adelina , Walters Gary
Published: November 2008

This study develops and tests a causal model of social service use by USA Puerto Rican elderly. Andersen and Newman's Health Framework was employed to classify and test a model of social service use by a national random sample of mainland USA Puerto Rican elderly. The findings indicate that 7 of the original 27 variables (i.e. need for social services, awareness, functional literacy, functional ability, mobility, income and contact with friends and neighbours) accounted for 43% of the variance in use. Counter to our theoretical assumption the need factor accounted for more variance than the enabling factor. Moreover, the predisposing factor and informal support variables were important predictors of utilisation.
Escaping Financial Dependency in Old Age
Authors: Walker Robert , Huby Meg
Published: November 2008

One of the principal motives behind pension reform in Britain in the post-war era has been to reduce dependence on means-tested assistance. Alternating attempts have been made to attain this objective through State and occupational collectivism but with only partial success. The present Government has shifted the emphasis away from collective provision towards individual saving promoted in the form of portable pensions. However, recent research has underlined the importance of structural determinants of dependency on means-tested assistance in retirement and of other factors over which individuals have little if any control. In the light of these findings questions are raised about the potential effectiveness of portable and occupational pensions as mechanisms for reducing future dependency on means-tested supplementation.
Professional Helpers and Resistances to Work with Older People
Authors: Biggs Simon
Published: November 2008

Resistances to empathy with older service users are outlined, drawn primarily from Jungian psychology. It is suggested that lack of a helper's personal experience of old age allows disproportionate influence to be played by archetypal intrapsychic processes. These are augmented by helpers perceptions of a negative personal future and a tendency either to ignore the age appropriate projects of older persons or replace them with those appropriate for the helper. Consequences for helper training are briefly explored.
Missionary Zeal and the Scholarly Stance: Policy and Commitment in Research on Old Age
Authors: Smith Gilbert
Published: November 2008

There is a danger that the ‘missionary zeal’ exhibited by some social gerontologists in the interests of those members of society who are older than others, may endanger the subject's ‘scholarly stance’ and the potential contribution to social policy of research on old age. This paper discusses four facets of the matter: (1) the anticipated values underpinning policies of state welfare (2) personal feelings and values in the business of research (3) values and the kind of data we value and (4) the question of whose side we are on. The paper concludes with a theoretical model of the relationship between the social policy process and the social research process as framework for understanding exactly how values about ageing impact both research about ageing and the relationship between that research and relevant social policies.
Observational Study of Quality of Life in NHS Nursing Homes and a Long-stay Ward for the Elderly
Authors: Clark Patricia , Bowling Ann
Published: November 2008

An observational study was carried out in order to measure the quality of life of elderly people in two different types of long-stay care (two NHS nursing homes and a hospital ward). This formed part of a wider evaluation study of these two forms of institutional care. Qualitative techniques provided insights into the behaviours, moods, interactions and atmospheres in the settings, which were difficult to measure using traditional survey approaches. The observational study showed that it is.essential not to rely solely on interview material, and assessments of mental and physical functioning, when evaluating long-stay care. Characteristics of ‘total institutions’ clearly emerged from the analyses of the hospital ward, although the inclusion of the hospital patients' Club in the study revealed that these need not be inevitable, and that both the ward and the homes could be improved if modelled on the more autonomous and flexible philosophy of the Club.
The Application of Modern Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques to Aged Patients
Authors: Kapila Helen , Coni Nicholas
Published: November 2008

The availability of high technology designed to preserve human life, places medical practitioners in a set of ethical dilemmas. In particular the use of Intensive Care Units to sustain acutely seriously ill elderly people is a matter of widespread debate. An examination of the medical research literature suggests that such interventions are largely successful and wished for by the patient, but the quality of surviving life is for some, unacceptable. It is concluded that the maintance of life should remain the predominant rule, but that where patient and clinical judgement indicates it, death should be accepted as the natural course.
Between Family and State: Ageing in Poland and Norway
Authors: Midre Georges , Synak Brunon
Published: November 2008

A comparative analysis of the life circumstances of older people in Poland and Norway is presented. It examines differences and similarities in attitudes to both family- and state-provided care, for those living in their own homes. In more prosperous Norway, public services are more frequent, elderly people are more independent and play a more active role in the labour market. In Poland formal care is seen as the last resort, with the responsibility for supporting elderly people placed firmly with the family. State services are directed towards those without families. The Norwegian system places no legal obligation on families, which results in a higher proportion living in institutions.
Evaluation of an Innovation in the Continuing Care of Very Frail Elderly People
Authors: Bond John , Bond Senga , Donaldson Cam , Gregson Barbara , Atkinson Ann
Published: November 2008

This paper describes the theoretical and methodological perspectives adopted by a multidisciplinary research group undertaking a government-funded evaluation of a United Kingdom innovation in the continuing care of elderly people. In 1983 three experimental National Health Service (NHS) nursing homes were set up to care for patients usually cared for in NHS geriatric hospitals. Drawing on different approaches to the evaluation of health-care innovations, this paper delineates an evaluation model which identifies four types of variables: structure, process, intermediate outcome and final outcome. The relationship of this model to the design of an evaluation comprising seven complementary research activities is described, emphasising the need for multiple perspectives and multiple methods in policy-oriented health-care evaluations.
Paupers and Pensioners: Past and Present
Authors: Hunt E. H.
Published: November 2008

This article compares treatment of the elderly today and in the mid-nineteenth century. The starting point is David Thomson's recent claim (Ageing and Society, 4, 1984) that welfare-state pension benefits are not as valuable, relative to the incomes of non-pensioners, as were the poor-law pensions of Dickensian England. Thomson's calculations of incomes and of the value and availability of pensions in the mid-nineteenth century are critically reassessed. It is argued that welfare-state pensions are superior to poor-law pensions not only in absolute terms but also as a proportion of average working-class incomes. The paper concludes with some comments on long-term trends in pensioners' living standards and the implications for pension policy.
The Structured Dependency of the Elderly: A Creation of Social Policy in the Twentieth Century
Authors: Townsend Peter
Published: November 2008

If we are to develop better methods of integrating elderly people into society then above all we need a better sociology of the ageing and the aged. In this paper I wish to put forward the thesis that the dependency of the elderly in the twentieth century is being manufactured socially and that its severity is unnecessary. The process can therefore be revised or at least modified. Certain major influences, which will be discussed below, are steadily deepening, or widening that dependency. There is the imposition, and acceptance, of earlier retirement; the legitimation of low income; the denial of rights to self-determination in institutions; and the construction of community services for recipients assumed to be predominantly passive.
Objective and Subjective Perspectives of Life Span Research
Authors: Rosenmayr Leopold
Published: November 2008

The paper argues for a theoretical renewal of basic perspectives for ageing research. A longitudinal, ‘historical’ view of the personality is advocated as it is expected to permit a deeper understanding of needs as well as chances for renewal, re-training, prophylactic and rehabilitative measures of and for persons in later life. A psychosocial theory of cumulation of general life conditions and special events, interpreted and reacted to by the subjects, will supposedly enlarge the more static conceptions of ‘social factors of ageing’.
Towards a Political Economy of Old Age
Authors: Walker Alan
Published: November 2008

Although widespread poverty in old age has been recognized in Britain for at least 100 years, research on age and ageing has tended to concentrate on individual adjustment to old age and in turn, on narrow functionalist explanations of depressed social status. The elderly have been treated as a homogeneous group facing common problems. In contrast, an approach to ageing based on political economy will examine the relative social and economic status of different groups of elderly people as well as the relationship between the elderly and younger generations. Thus it is argued that poverty in old age is primarily a function of low economic and social status prior to retirement and the depressed social status of the retired, and secondarily, of the relatively low level of state benefits. Social policies which have failed to recognize inequality in old age and the causes of low economic and social status have therefore failed to tackle the problem of poverty and low incomes. The starting point for policy-makers should be the labour market and the social relationship between age and the labour market.
Carbon emissions reduction strategies and poverty alleviation in India
Authors: OJHA VIJAY P.
Published: November 2008

This paper, based on a computable general equilibrium model of the Indian economy, shows that a domestic carbon tax policy that recycles carbon tax revenues to households imposes heavy costs in terms of lower economic growth and higher poverty. However, the decline in economic growth and rise in poverty can be minimized if the emissions restriction target is modest, and carbon tax revenues are transferred exclusively to the poor. India's participation in an internationally tradable emission permits regime with grandfathered emissions allocation is preferable to any domestic carbon tax option, provided the world market price of emission permits remains low. Even better would be if India participated in a global system of tradable emission permits with equal per capita emission entitlements. India would then be able to use the revenues garnered from the sale of surplus permits to speed up its economic growth and poverty reduction and yet keep its per capita emissions below the 1990 per capita global emissions level.