Synonyms
Definition
Age segregation deprives individuals from certain age groups from interacting with others outside their age cohort. It implies the separation, exclusion, isolation, or special treatment of individuals and groups by virtue of their age, by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area (see “Age-Cared Homes” and “Age-Friendly Cities and Communities”), barriers to social intercourse, exclusion from the labor market, or by other discriminatory means. When age segregation is due to cultural, political, or economic pressure, it promotes ageism, denying all generations the benefits of diverse social interaction.
Overview
While aging is a natural process inherent to life and development, perceptions of “age” have different implications on people, sometimes creating pressure for segregation, depending upon historical and cultural developments (e.g., industrialization), social contexts (e.g., urban), and...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Abhijit V, Premchand D (2017) Productive aging in India. Soc Sci Med. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.07.029
Addae-Dapaah K (2008) Age segregation and the quality of life of the elderly people in studio apartments. J Hous Elder 22(1–2):127–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763890802097151
Boban K, Sultana S (2014) Social exclusion among elderly: analysis on Ambedkar ‘s. Humanistic Perspect 6(1):32–40
Bookman A (2008) Innovative models of aging in place: Transforming our communities for an aging population. Community, Work & Family 11(4):419–438. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668800802362334
Breheny M, Griffiths Z (2017) “I had a good time when I was young”: interpreting descriptions of continuity among older people. J Aging Stud 41:36–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2017.03.003
Centre d’Analyse Stratégique (2010) Vivre ensemble plus longtemps. Rapports & Documents, n° 28. La Documentation Française, Paris, p 25. Retrieved from https://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/var/storage/rapports-publics/104000662.pdf
Dannefer BD, Feldman K (2017) Age integration, age segregation, and generation X: life-course perspectives. Generations 41(3):20–26
de Haro Honrubia A (2014) El estigma en la vejez: Una etnografía en residencias para mayores. Intersecciones en antropología 15(2):445–459
Ennuyer B (2011) À quel âge est-on vieux? La catégorisation des âges: ségrégation sociale et réification des individus. Gérontologie et Société 138:127–142. https://doi.org/10.3917/gs.138.0127
Hawton A, Green C, Dickens AP, Richards SH, Taylor RS, Edwards R, ... Campbell JL (2011) The impact of social isolation on the health status and health-related quality of life of older people Qual Life Res 20(1):57–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9717-2
Ilmakunnas P, Ilmakunnas S (2014) Age segregation and hiring of older employees: low mobility revisited. Int J Manpow 35(8):1090–1115. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-04-2012-0060
Levy SR (2016) Toward reducing ageism: PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) model. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw116
North MS, Fiske ST (2013) Act your (old) age: prescriptive, ageist biases over succession, consumption, and identity. Personal Soc Psychol Bull 39(6):720–734. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167213480043
Osborne J (2012) Psychological effects of the transition to retirement. Can J Couns Psychother 46(1):45–58
Owens A (2017) Racial residential segregation of school-age children and adults: the role of schooling as a segregating force. Russell Sage Foundation J Soc Sci 3(2):63–80. https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2017.3.2.03
Petersen M, Warburton J (2012) Residential complexes in Queensland, Australia: a space of segregation and ageism? Ageing Soc 32(1):60–84. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X10001534
Portacolone E, Halpern J (2016) “Move or suffer”: is age-segregation the new norm for older Americans living alone? J Appl Gerontol 35(8):836–856. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464814538118
Ramírez LF, Palacios-Espinosa X, Dyar C, Lytle A, Levy SR (2018) The relationships among aging stereotypes, aging anxiety, social support, religiosity, and expected health among Colombians. J Adult Dev:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-9299-8
Rebelo LP, Pereira NS (2014) Assessing health endowment, access and choice determinants: Impact on retired Europeans’(In) activity and quality of life Social indicators research 119(3):1411–1446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0542-1
Robertson DA, Kenny RA (2016) “I’m too old for that” – the association between negative perceptions of aging and disengagement in later life. Personal Individ Differ 100:114–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.096
Siedentop S, Zakrzewski P, Stroms P (2018) A childless urban renaissance? Age-selective patterns of population change in North American and German metropolitan areas. Reg Stud Reg Sci 5(1):1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2017.1412270
Tomfohr LM, Edwards KM, Madsen JW, Mills PJ (2015) Social support moderates the relationship between sleep and inflammation in a population at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Psychophysiology 52(12):1689–1697. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12549
Waldron VR, Gitelson R, Kelley D, Regalado J (2005) Losing and building supportive relationships in later life: A four-year study of migrants to a planned retirement community. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 19(2):5–25. https://doi.org/10.1300/J081v19n02_02
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Ramírez, L., Palacios-Espinosa, X. (2019). Age Segregation. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_583-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_583-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-69892-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-69892-2
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences