Naughton-Doe, Ruth Jennifer orcid.org/0000-0003-2683-3476 (2024) Austerity, Ageism and the Rhetoric of Self-reliance:The Policy Drivers and Socio-cultural Attitudes Contributing to the Loneliness Experienced by Older Residents in an Underprivileged Community in South Wales. Social Policy and Society. ISSN 1475-3073
Abstract
Reducing loneliness amongst older people is an international public health and policy priority, with signs of decreasing3importance in the UK. A growing body of research on tackling loneliness indicates it is a complex challenge. Most interventions imply they address loneliness, when in fact they offer social connectedness to address social isolation and can inadvertently responsibilise the individual for the causes and solutions for loneliness. This article presents research that explored loneliness in an underprivileged community in South Wales through interviews and focus groups with nineteen older people and eighteen local service providers. Their perspective supports a growing body of evidence that loneliness amongst older people is driven by wider structural and socio-cultural exclusion. Interventions to build social connections will be more effective if coupled with policies that reverse the reduction in public services (including transport and healthcare), and challenge socio-cultural norms, including a culture of self-reliance and ageism.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2024. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Social Policy and Social Work (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 23 Oct 2024 09:30 |
Last Modified: | 17 Dec 2024 00:29 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746424000423 |
Status: | Published online |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S1474746424000423 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:218740 |
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Description: Austerity, Ageism, and the Rhetoric of Self-reliance: The Policy Drivers and Socio-cultural Attitudes Contributing to the Loneliness Experienced by Older Residents in an Underprivileged Community in South Wales
Licence: CC-BY 2.5