The Impact of Life Trajectories on Retirement: Socioeconomic Differences in Social Support Networks (original) (raw)
Related papers
2017
The rapid process of population aging and the effect of an induced process of modernization since the early 1980's in Chile have prompted questions about the quantity and quality of older people's formal and informal networks of support. Socio-cultural changes reflecting values of an individualized society put into question the mandatory character of traditional family support. Using a conceptual framework that combines a focus on bonding and bridging social capital, on personal communities and that employs a narrative approach to policy analysis, this thesis investigates to what extent and under which circumstances older people living in an urban area exchange help and complement family resources with other types of personal ties (e.g. friends, neighbours, and/or state organizations). Paying particular attention to the composition, function and meaning of personal ties in later life, I draw on 40 in-depth interviews with people between 60 and 74 years old living in the city of Santiago and analyze the Chilean "Integral Policy for Positive Aging 2012-2025" to answer this research question. The findings show how older people become integrated in society through the management of a network of diverse personal ties. They highlight the nuances in the meaning and function of these ties in a context of low institutional trust and neoliberal social policies. The research contributes to existing literature by: a) clearly differentiating bonding from strong ties, and bridging from weak ties, while stressing the role of bonding ties acting as bridging social capital to connect the older person to key symbolic and practical resources in a context of low trust; b) offering a conceptual and methodological framework to recognize the normative and cultural aspects of social policies on aging; c) explicitly considering the role of the socio-cultural context of a country of the global south in the creation of personal communities.
Satisfaction with Retirement: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis with Social Network Analysis
Connections, 2023
Satisfaction with any aspect of life is not easy to defined, and sometimes, it is still a topic of discussion. That is especially relevant for more excluded populations like older people. This research looked into how relevant the social support networks (SSNs) of older people are for their satisfaction with retirement, specifically in the Chilean context. It will identify some sufficient and necessary conditions for older people to be satisfied with retirement. This research focuses on 30 life histories of older people in Santiago, Chile. They were asked about their histories and SSNs. The analysis applied used a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) with conditions from the Social Network Analysis (SNA). The results identify sufficient and necessary conditions to achieve satisfaction with retirement. It is highlighted some of the dimensions of SSNs and their reciprocities as relevant conditions for satisfaction with retirement.
Ageing and Society, 2003
This paper examines the impact of childhood and adulthood socio-economic status (SES) on personal network characteristics in later life. Data are derived from 2,285 married older adults (born between 1903 and 1937) who participated in face-to-face interviews for the Dutch survey on 'Living arrangements and social networks of older adults ' conducted in 1992. Childhood and adulthood SES were indicated by the father's and own level of education and occupation. Multivariate analyses showed that SES in adulthood has more impact on network features in old age than father's SES. People with low lifetime SES or with downward SES mobility had small networks, low instrumental and emotional support from non-kin, but high instrumental support from kin, when compared with the upwardly mobile or those with high lifetime SES. The level of education was a better indicator of network differences than occupational prestige. It is concluded that obtaining a high SES during life pays off in terms of having more supportive non-kin relationships in old age. The small networks and less supportive non-kin relationships of low-status older adults make them more vulnerable to situations in which kin are unavailable or less willing to provide support. This study underscores the distinction between types of support and types of relationships in the SES-network association. Further research on the social pathways of socioeconomic inequality in health and wellbeing should take these distinctions into account.
Social Disadvantages and Intergenerational Solidarity Views From Older Adults: A Qualitative Study
2023
In this article we aim at understanding the influence of social disadvantages on intergenerational solidarity. For this study, we have considered biographical research through narratives. These narratives help explain and reflect on the beliefs of the participants, implicit theories, and their life experiences. A snowball sampling technique was considered, and the data were collected by means of 58 narrative interviews with men aged between 60 and 93 years of age, living in urban and rural areas of southern Portugal. The interviews were conducted face-to-face in the participants' houses or community centers. Content analysis was performed and our results indicated that a low educational background was determinant in the trajectories of these men. Unqualified or low qualified occupations and, in consequence, low financial capital, had both a direct and indirect effect on various domains of life. As a result, a significant part of the men live in poverty, and many others experience a very difficult situation. The results also revealed that social disadvantages had an impact on structural, functional, and associational solidarities. The levels of intergenerational exchanges are reduced and unsatisfying. Our study suggests that social class is a key factor in explaining the inequalities of older adults and also influences intergenerational solidarity at a family level. Keywords older adults, family intergenerational solidarity, educational background, inequalities Original Research What do we already know about this topic? The accumulation of social disadvantages can lead individuals into a difficult situation that is beyond their control and harm various dimensions of their lives. Intergenerational solidarity can, potentially, counteract these negative influences through the exchange of resources between members of a family lineage. How does your research contribute to the field? Educational background is the primary source of perceived inequalities among the participants, which explains the levels of poverty that older men live in. Social disadvantages have a negative impact on intergenerational exchanges which are reduced and unsatisfying. Social class and social-economic difficulties seem to reduce solidarity within the family. What are your research's implications toward theory, practice, or policy? New policies should be designed to deal with the poverty of older adults. It is advisable to redefine policies targeting the adult population and increase the qualifications of adults. These policies should be connected to existing practices, that is, measures to tackle these problems should be implemented not only during infancy and adolescence, but also during adult life.
Intergenerational Support Networks and Wellbeing in Old Age
Standard of Living, Wellbeing, and Community Development, 2021
Family is the main informal support system for the older population. Focusing on social network types, the chapter discusses the relevance of family-centered networks, restricted and diverse networks for wellbeing, and psychosocial risk in the aging process. Social network types and social support effectiveness are also pointed out as good predictors of health, mental health, and social or community participation. Familistic cultures represent different demands on informal support and social care, bringing enormous importance to the heiresses generations. Interpersonal relationships between generations are fueled by reciprocity in support throughout the life cycle. Intergenerationality closes its cycle when the offspring support their parents in older ages. Normativity in this cycle is broken with childlessness, which is less and less exceptional today. The emphasis on family ties in social care and the childless population's increase transform future support expectations, challenging societies.
Care and social support networks of older people from a mixed methods approach
Population Ageing in Latin America - Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, 2024
Chile has become one of the countries with the highest turnover rate in Latin America. In this context, older people find themselves under a neoliberal pension regime, which has been shown to increase structural inequalities; and where family ties still persist at the state level as the caregivers and fundamental supports of the ageing. Therefore, the care and support that older people receive/provide becomes increasingly relevant. This article seeks to describe the care and support networks for older people; and identify typologies between these networks. To respond to this, the theoretical framework in which this research is developed is initially presented, investigating the notions of care and social support networks. Regarding the methodology, data collected in three waves (during 2022 in Santiago of Chile) in a particular community centres were used, where interviews with name generators were applied to 57 participants (including older people and professionals). The results present what the care and support networks for older people are like. In addition, typologies of these networks are identified, which could serve for future research as a proxy to evaluate cases of isolated older people; and eventually help the creation of public policies aimed at them.
Lay definitions of family and social capital in later life
Personal Relationships, 2015
This study explores the lay definitions of family in old age and their consequences for social capital in using an egocentric network approach. Data were derived from a subsample of 578 elders (aged 65 and older) from the Vivre/Leben/Vivere (VLV) study, a large survey addressing family life and health conditions of older people in Switzerland. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to create a typology of family networks based on family members who were cited as significant. We identified six family networks: Conjugal, Son, Daughter, Sibling, Kinship, and Sparse. These feature bonding and bridging social capital unequally. Therefore, one should take into account the lay definitions of family to better understand social capital within families in later life. Family ties are major sources of solidarity in old age (Silverstein, Gans, & Yang, 2006) and therefore represent a key factor of well-being and self-identity in later life (Antonucci, 2001; Thoits, 2011). Support provided by family members, including informational support (advice and guidance), instrumental support (material and practical aid), and emotional support (love, caring, and encouragement), offers a protective effect, as it alleviates the feeling of isolation, which is one of the main dangers to one's health (House, 2001; Shor, Roelfs, & Yogev, 2013). Individuals who lack meaningful family ties have a greater probability of experiencing depression, lower
Perceived Social Support of Older Adults in Spain
Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2013
Based on theory, perceived social support is a relevant multidimensional factor for the wellbeing and quality of life of older adults. However, not all measuring instruments are able to identify this multidimensionality in every population. In this sense, the objectives of this paper are: 1) to identify the dimensions underlying the social support perceived by older adults in Spain, using the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (DUFSS); 2) to interpret how this population group rates the support it receives in the dimensions found; and 3) to determine the (fundamentally dynamic or stable) nature of the relationship between these dimensions and socio-demographic, personal, and family and friendship network-related factors. The data come from a Quality of Life survey conducted in 2008 among people aged 60 or over living in a community dwelling in Spain. The sample comprised 1106 individuals. The analysis of the dimensionality using the DUFSS scale through an exploratory factor analysis identified a sole dimension for this specific population, perceived affective support. The affective support perceived by 35% of older adults could be categorized as insufficient, according to the descriptive Applied Research Quality Life