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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Only connect?
— lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults and social capital | | Author(s) | Ann Cronin, Andrew King |
| Journal title | Ageing and Society, vol 34, no 2, February 2014 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, February 2014 |
| Pages | pp 258-279 |
| Source | journals.cambridge.org/aso |
| Keywords | Sexual orientation ; Gay men ; Lesbians ; Social contacts ; Participation ; Qualitative Studies. |
| Annotation | The concept of social capital is widely used in the social sciences, to explore the nature, role and values of social networks and community activities. To an extent, it has been applied to the lives and social networks of older lesbian, gay and bisexual (hereafter LGB) adults. This paper develops existing research and argues that while not without its problems, the concept of social capital enriches our understanding of these networks, whilst simultaneously deconstructing the negative stereotypes surrounding homosexuality in later life. However, little attention has been paid to the social factors that mediate access and participation in lesbian and gay communities and the implications of this on the quality and experience of later life. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in the United Kingdom, this paper illustrates how biography, gender and socio-economic status are significant mediators in the development and maintenance of social capital by older LGB adults. It concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at improving the social capital of older LGB adults, together with the importance of 'queering' the concept itself. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-150514004 A |
| Classmark | ES6: ES6DA: ES6DB: TOA: TMB: 3DP |
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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