84 IMPACT OF RELOCATION AND MIGRATION ON THE SOCIAL RELATIONS OF OLDER MEN AND WOMEN OVER THEIR LIFE COURSE

Abstract

Abstract Background While there is a recognition in the established literature of the need to investigate life-course factors in the construction of exclusion from social relations and gender pathways, how those pathways intersect with the relocation and migration histories of older people has not been sufficiently explored. Thus, illuminating this intersection is important in understanding major turning points in people’s social connections, and this has particular significance in Ireland given that most older people are likely to have experienced some form of migration. Methods Thirty in-depth semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews with older men and women in Ireland, as part of a wider GENPATH study into exclusion from social relations. Results There is preliminary evidence to suggest that relocation and migration has a differential impact on the social relations of men and women over their life course. The findings reflect the common phenomenon in Ireland where it was usual for women to move into new communities upon marriage. Also, women’s experience of within-country relocation was often linked to their husband’s working-life trajectories, whereas employment was the motivation behind this form of relocation for the male participants. For those who had experienced emigration, returning to Ireland was driven by a desire to return to their place of origin or to retire in Ireland to be nearer to family in later life. Conclusion Findings point to the intersection between relocation and migration life histories and gendered pathways to exclusion from social relations. The impact on social connectivity is experienced differently at different points across the lives of these older men and women. Consideration needs to be given to gender normative roles and structural influences to gain a greater understanding of how these intersect with migration.