Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Building Evidence for Active Ageing Policies pp 19–37Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Are Societies with a High Value on the Active Ageing Index More Age Integrated?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Combining round four data from the European Social Survey (ESS) with indicators of Active Ageing, Dykstra and Fleischmann examine conditions conducive to age integration. It uses both a behavioural and an attitudinal measure of age integration: the prevalence of cross-age friendships and low levels of ageism. The analyses focus on both “young” (ages 18–30) and “old” (ages 70–90). Interestingly, high levels of independence, health and security in late life, and greater capacity to actively age rather than high levels of working, volunteering, caring and political engagement among the old create the greatest opportunities for meaningful cross-age interactions. Contrary to public belief, “productive ageing” will, in and of itself, not lead to greater age integration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=76287845

References

  • Ajrouch, K. J., Blandon, A., & Antonucci, T. C. (2005). Social networks among men and women: The effects of age and socioeconomic status. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 60, 311–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binstock, R. H. (1983). The aged as a scapegoat. The Gerontologist, 23, 136–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binstock, R. H. (2010). 50th anniversary feature article. From compassionate ageism to intergenerational conflict? The Gerontologist, 50, 574–585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blau, P. M. (1977). Inequality and heterogeneity: A primitive theory of social structure. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler, R. N. (1969). Age-ism: Another form of bigotry. The Gerontologist, 9, 243–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A. L. (2012). Policy makes mass politics. Annual Review of Political Science, 15, 333–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. S. (1982). The asymmetric society. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, T. (2012). Intergenerational conflict: Evidence from Europe. Journal of Population Ageing, 5, 7–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales, E., Matz-Costa, C., & Morrow-Howel, N. (2015). Increasing opportunities for the productive engagement of older adults: A response to population aging. The Gerontologist, 55, 252–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grefe, D. (2011). Combating ageism with narrative and intergroup contact: Possibilities of intergenerational connections. Pastoral Psychology, 60, 99–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagestad, G. O., & Uhlenberg, P. (2005). The social separation of old and young: A root of ageism. Journal of Social Issues, 61, 343–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagestad, G. O., & Uhlenberg, P. (2006). Should we be concerned about age segregation? Some theoretical and empirical explorations. Research on Aging, 28, 638–653.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harwood, J., Hewstone, M., Paolini, S., & Voci, A. (2005). Grandparent-grandchild contact and attitudes toward older adults: Moderator and mediator effects. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 393–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lahey, J. N. (2010). International comparison of age discrimination laws. Research on Aging, 32, 679–697.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Longman, P. (1986). Age wars: The coming battle between young and old. The Futurist, 20, 8–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead, M. (1970). Culture and commitment: A study of the generation gap. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, M. S., & Fiske, S. T. (2012). An inconvenienced youth? Ageism and its potential intergenerational roots. Psychological Bulletin, 138, 982–997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2006). A metaanalytic test of intergroup contact theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 751–783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riley, M. W., & Riley, J. W., Jr. (2000). Age integration: Conceptual and historical background. The Gerontologist, 40, 266–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. P., & Christakis, N. A. (2008). Social networks and health. Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 405–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J. A., McPherson, M., & Smith-Lovin, L. (2014). Social distance in the United States: Sex, race, religion, age, and education homophily among confidants, 1985 to 2004. American Sociological Review, 79, 432–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uhlenberg, P. (2000). Why study age integration? The Gerontologist, 40, 276–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uhlenberg, P., & De Jong Gierveld, J. (2004). Age-segregation in later life: An examination of personal networks. Ageing and Society, 24, 5–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanderbeck, R. M. (2007). Intergenerational geographies: Age relations, segregation and re-engagements. Geography Compass, 1/2, 200–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaidi, A., Gasior, K., Hofmarcher, M. M., Lelkes, O., Marin, B., Rodrigues, R., Schmidt, A., Vanhuysse, P., & Zolyomi, E. (2013). Active Ageing Index 2012: Concept, methodology and final results. EC/UNECE, Active Ageing Index Project, UNECE Grant ECE/GC/2012/003. Vienna: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research. Retrieved from http://www.euro.centre.org/data/aai/1253897823_70974.pdf

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Pearl A. Dykstra

  2. University College, London, UK

    Maria Fleischmann

Authors
  1. Pearl A. Dykstra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria Fleischmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

    Asghar Zaidi

  2. University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Sarah Harper

  3. University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Kenneth Howse

  4. INRCA National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, Ancona, Italy

    Giovanni Lamura

  5. Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Kraków, Poland

    Jolanta Perek-Białas

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Dykstra, P.A., Fleischmann, M. (2018). Are Societies with a High Value on the Active Ageing Index More Age Integrated?. In: Zaidi, A., Harper, S., Howse, K., Lamura, G., Perek-Białas, J. (eds) Building Evidence for Active Ageing Policies. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6017-5_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6017-5_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6016-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6017-5

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation