Abstract
Various studies on active ageing have focused on social participation as an element in the promotion of related policies. Literature on the subject reveals that the participation in voluntary activities is a factor which contributes positively to the process of active ageing. This article explores gender disparities related to active volunteerism among Italian seniors. Of the 900 active subjects aged between 65 and 74 who participated, 146 were engaged in voluntary activities. Constrained cluster analysis techniques based on a series of variables including age, income type, relationship networks, value attributions, and sector of volunteering association were applied to identify the statistical differences between elderly male and female volunteers. The results show a difference in volunteer profile between the genders. Male volunteers are younger, often married and more active, while women are older, often widows and possessing a strong religious vocation. Furthermore, while men are more likely to be involved in activities related to sports, women tend to donate time to solidarity and educational initiatives aimed at individuals. The promotion of active ageing policies should consider as crucial not only the differences in national welfare regimes, but also how gender disparities determine different forms and opportunities for social participation.
Highlights
Low birth rates and increases in life expectancy have contributed to changes in the age composition of European populations
This paper aims to investigate the differences related to gender between active male and female seniors with a focus on social participation and, volunteering
This paper has sought to highlight the importance of promoting policies aimed at supporting active ageing and thereby improving the quality of life and the bio-psychosocial well-being of older persons
Summary
Low birth rates and increases in life expectancy have contributed to changes in the age composition of European populations. It is important to note that the definition proposed by the WHO embraces a wide concept of activity, not merely the ability to be physically active or to have a role in the labour force Instead, this understanding of active ageing emphasises the continuing participation of the elderly in domains that extend beyond economically productive activities to include in cultural, social and civic affairs which contribute to personal well-being and quality of life, as well as to the well-being of other individuals and the society at large. This understanding of active ageing emphasises the continuing participation of the elderly in domains that extend beyond economically productive activities to include in cultural, social and civic affairs which contribute to personal well-being and quality of life, as well as to the well-being of other individuals and the society at large This requires the acceptance of a holistic vision of ageing and is an attempt to overcome the limits of another concept popular above all in the USA, that of successful ageing. This approach has, since the 1960s, drawn attention mainly to the performance potentials of the elderly [4] or, in other terms, the promotion of the physical, mental and social well-being of a person as they experience the last phase of their life-cycle
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