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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Relative distance
— ageing in rural New Zealand | | Author(s) | Sally Keeling |
| Journal title | Ageing and Society, vol 21, part 5, September 2001 |
| Pages | pp 605-620 |
| Keywords | Ageing process ; Family relationships ; Geographical distance ; Rural areas ; Migration ; Urban areas ; Longitudinal surveys ; New Zealand. |
| Annotation | Aspects of kinship and geographical distance are explored in terms of the social context of older people in the South Island of New Zealand, and with particular reference to the Mosgiel Longitudinal Study of Ageing (MLSA). Comparisons between the numbers of relatives reported in older particIpants' social networks at baseline and in the 6-year follow-up study indicate both losses and gains over time. A local qualitative study carried out within the Mosgiel study interprets meanings of closeness and distance from the way that older people talk about family and friends. In discussing definitions of family, aspects of genealogical and generational connection are described, along with processes which allow for 'proxies' and 'substitution' in the light of geographical proximity. These role definitions within families, and the wider social networks within which they operate, provide continuity and reliable social support together with flexibility and adaptability to change. The Mosgiel study illustrates some aspects of the combined effects of low population density in the region, rural-to-urban migration, and recent health and social service restructuring on older people and on their families. (KJ/RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-020214205 A |
| Classmark | BG: DS:SJ: RJ: RL: TN: RK: 3J: 7YN |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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