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Integration at Late Life: Inclusion, Participation, and Belonging among the Elderly. Zenaida R. Ravanera Fernando Rajulton. Population Studies Centre University of Western Ontario. Introduction. Dimensions of Integration Data and Methodology
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Integration at Late Life: Inclusion, Participation, and Belonging among the Elderly Zenaida R. Ravanera Fernando Rajulton Population Studies Centre University of Western Ontario
Introduction • Dimensions of Integration • Data and Methodology • Disengaged and Enjoying Life? - Time Allocation Among the Elderly • What about the boomers? Would they reverse the trends? • Economic, Political, and Socio-Cultural Integration: The 1998 GSS • Education and Health: Main Determinants • Do Communities Matter?
Dimensions of Integration • Economic Inclusion - Full or Part Time Work • Political Participation – Volunteered in Past Year • Socio-Cultural - Sense of belonging to community Social Cohesion measured at individual-level
Data and Methodology • General Social Survey on Time Use: 1986 (2584), 1992 (2273), and 1998 (2763) • Men and women aged 55 and older: • 55 to 64 (young old) • 65-74 (mid old) • 75 and older (oldest Old) • Average Hours Spent, % Included, Participating, & Feeling Strong Sense of Belonging • Binary Logistics Regression: Individual Level & Community Level independent variables
Disengaged and Enjoying Life? : Time Allocation Among Major Activities
Disengaged and Enjoying Life? : Time Allocation Among Major Activities (2)
What About the Boomers? Would they Reverse the Trend? (2) Education and health Economic factors (changing nature of work, labour force shortage) Family transformation
Economic, Political, and Socio-Cultural Integration: The 1998 GSS
Concluding Remarks • If sense of belonging to community is the sole measure of integration, seniors are well-integrated indeed. • Active economic inclusion has been declining but it may yet take a different turn with the aging of the boomers. • Education and health • Changing economic structures (globalization) • Family Transformation
Concluding Remarks (2) • Political participation through volunteering has lots of potentials for elderly integration. • Communities are important for integration, particularly for sense of belonging. • However, that sense of belonging is more likely in rural, homogenous, and “traditional” communities present challenges.