Psycho-social Impact of a relocation process among elders: A longitudinal study

Psycho-social Impact of a relocation process among elders: A longitudinal study Fátima Bernardo – Psychology Department – Évora University José Manuel Palma-Oliveira – F.P.C.E. Lisbon University

Problema • - How changes in the place context can influence identity of the subject or group? Research Question: • - The relocation changes the relation of people with the space (primary, secondary and public territory - Altman, 1975), the social relationships, the place attachment and it has also an impact on the resident’s identity.

Objective • To understand the psychosocial impact amonga group of elder people, involved ina forced relocation that implies a significant alteration in the physical and social characteristics of the neighbourhood and neighbours •  To evaluate the impact of the relocation: • • the use of the space • • social relationships • • place attachment • • place identity

Theorical Framework Place Attachment Breakwell’s Identity Process Model examined here, in an environmental context • 4 principles: • - Continuity “(...) a strong attachment to place is thought to foster a sense of well-being, coherence, and continuity among past, present and future selves” (Pellow, 1992) • - Distinctiveness “place attachment promote and sustain the group identity through the places shared and with common symbolism”(Brown e Perkins, 1992) • - Self-esteem “the place attachment make more strong our self-esteem and our self-confidence” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1992) • - Self- efficacy “the place attachment is connected to the human need of environmental control” (Belk, 1992)

Theorical Framework Place Attachment The relocation process demands an interruption in the residents attachment to the physical and social residential environment. There is a positive correlation between place attachment and difficulty to adaptation to the new residential area (e.g. Fried, 1993; Speller et al., 1993, 2001; Brown e Perkins, 1992; Stokols e Shumaker, 1982) Use of the Place The relocation usually introduces significant changes in the location, architecture and infrastructures of the neighbourhood that have a significant impact in the use of the space. Social Networks The relocation processes, usually, has as consequence the break, interruption or disturbance in the established social networks or the loss of close friends or neighbours. Several studies show the importance of social networks in the social dynamic and life pattern of populations that live in old and poor urban areas, notably among elders (e.g.: Soczka, 1989; Borges, 1994)

Case-Study A community relocation imposed by the City Council in order to build a New Motorway Across Lisbon The majority of the population was relocated in a new neighbourhood called Padre Cruz Liberdade Neighbourhood- ...-1993 Padre Cruz Neighbourhood–1993- 2001

Liberdade Neighbourhood • Spatial Characteristics • Located in the centre of Lisbon, near of the most privileged areas • Traditional and old neighbourhood, with some slum areas • Neighbourhood structure: • •residences or small buildings with 2 or 3 floors • • most houses are very old, degradated • • some houses do not have basic infrastructures • • there are public services as showers, telephone and fountains. • The streets are mainly reserved to residents • The street is the continuum of the house itself in term of: • • some domestic activities • • recreation or resting place • The street is the privileged place for the social interaction • Strong attachment to the area

Liberdade Neighbourhood • Social Networks • The most important source of friends is among the neighbours and family • Importance of the local functional support (friends and neighbours) • Neighbours known for long time and presence of many family elements in the area • Strong attachment to the neighbours

Padre Cruz Neighbourhood • Spatial Characteristics • Located at the periphery of the city, in an spatial and urban discontinuity with the main commercial centre • New area, build specially for relocation • Neighbourhood structure: 133 buildings with 5 or 6 floor with a central area reserved for pedestrians • The neighbourhood is crossed by streets with a high traffic flow, particularly public transportation • Street is refereed as the place of the “others” • This area was used to relocate people from different neighbourhoods andbelonging to different ethnical groups • Dispersion of the people from the old neighbourhood all over the new area

Methodology Several authors refer that involuntary relocations are long processes that begin with the knowledge of the necessity to move, and finish, somewhere, several years after, with the complete integration in the new space (e.g.: Wapner, 1981; Brown e Perkins, 1992) It was developed a longitudinal research, that are considered the best way to study relocation situations, because it allows the understanding of the process itself (e.g.: Lee, 1990) 20 subjects were interviewed in three moments: - before the relocation - one year after the relocation - six years after the relocation

Interview Structure • socio-demographic characteristics • information about the old and the new neighbourhood • personal meanings of their house, settlement and local • the change process • identification of copying strategies • social networks • The interviews were taped, transcribed and content analysed

Sample Characteristics Elders (> 65 years) Retired Residents in the neighbourhood during the last 20 years Low social, economic and educational level Relocated in the Padre Cruz Neighbourhood Interviewed before and after the relocation

Results • There are important impacts of the relocation in the resident’s relationship with their physical and social environment. • Place Identity • This study verifies that the change in the physical and social environment had impact on the relocated people’s identity. It demanded a process of adjustment of the identity to the new space. • In the old neighbourhood it was verified that the place contributed to a positive identity of the residents • In the new neighbourhood it was verified that: • - The residents use the Old neighbourhood as an element of distintiveness from the others “We are different because we are from the Liberdade neighbourhood” • - Has elements of descontinuity between the past and the present • -The house contributed to the increased self-esteem and self-efficacy. • - Theneighbourhood and neighbours contributed to the decreased self-esteem and self-efficacy

Results • Place Attachment • In all the three moments, it was verified, a strong attachment to the old neighbourhood and neighbours, and a generic feeling of no belonging to the new area. • This feeling was present in expressions like “we” to refer to the residents of the Liberdade neighbourhood, and “the others” to the residents of the new neighbourhood. • Despite, the subjects are very happy with the new houses. • The residents like the house and dislike the neighbourhood

Results • Use of the Space • A dramatic reduction of the use of the semi-public and the public space • An increase of the time spend at home is verified • Social Networks • A significant reduction of the number of friends and daily social interactions with the neighbours • A reduction of the spontaneity of these meetings • To reduce this feeling they increase the interaction with the family, specially using the telephone

Conclusions • As other studies, this research underlines the relationship between changes in physical environment and identity, in the context of residential environment. • The Breakwell´s framework of Identity Process Theory included the environmental context is anuseful way of interpreting the impact of change across the relocation period • Further work could examine under what conditions of change of physical environment, socio-demographic and psychological characteristics of the residents, people perceive the change as a threat to their identity.

Psycho-social Impact of a relocation process among elders: A longitudinal study