Social Inclusion of Older People: Barriers and Opportunities

Abstract

Older people most commonly face problems of social integration. Elimination from the labor market often means for them a sharp decline in social activity; deterioration of economic welfare creates a barrier to active participation in society as well. Moreover, loss of physical faculty and in some cases disability, could jeopardize the social autonomy of people in the Old Age. Long-term increase of such factors could lead to social deprivation down to social isolation. The article explains the complex multi-factor phenomena of social inclusion and social exclusion from the viewpoint of sociology and proposes indicative parameters of the individual inclusion in or exclusion from social life. Thus, the quality and quantity of social contacts, social activity, intensity of existing social connections, economic, political and cultural activity are promoted as basic indicators of social inclusion. Research covers the social inclusion of the elderly, in particular barriers and opportunities for the elderly in their access to social life, mobility and healthy aging. The article is based on the results of two projects “A 100-year-old Citizen” and “National culture of ageing”, that took place from April to December 2016. Project were conducted by The Institute for Social Analysis and Forecast (Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration) together with Russian Clinical and Research Center of (Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University) with the support of Elena & Gennady Timchenko Foundation. The empirical base for the article includes 23 biographical interviews with people aged from 86 to 103 years from two regions of Russia.