The social connectedness of older Europeans: patterns, dynamics and contexts

Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), our article shows that the population aged 50 or older is socially connected in several ways. The various dimensions of social connectedness turn out to be complementary rather than substitutive, except for t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of European social policy 2009-10, Vol.19 (4), p.327-340
Main Authors: Kohli, Martin, Hank, Karsten, Künemund, Harald
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Ageing
Aging
Connectedness
Elderly
Europe
European cultural groups
Family Relations
Family structure
Informal groups
Longitudinal studies
Older people
Population aging
Retirement
Social dynamics
Social Integration
Social Interaction
Social Networks
Social participation
Social Relations
Social systems
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Summary:Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), our article shows that the population aged 50 or older is socially connected in several ways. The various dimensions of social connectedness turn out to be complementary rather than substitutive, except for the relationship between informal social relations and family relations, which tends to be characterized by substitution. Our longitudinal analysis reveals that the dynamics of formal and informal social relations as well as family relations tend to be driven by individuals’ resources and needs. While the associations between elders’ social connectedness and individual characteristics are very similar across countries, we find significant regional variation regarding the levels and the dynamics of social connectedness.
ISSN:0958-9287
1461-7269
DOI:10.1177/1350506809341514