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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Infrastructure, equity and the elderly | | Author(s) | Fiona Ross, L B Lerer, Rozett Phillips |
| Journal title | Southern African Journal of Gerontology, vol 5, no 1, April 1996 |
| Pages | pp 3-8 |
| Keywords | Electric power ; Social economics ; Development ; Attitude ; Rural areas ; South Africa. |
| Annotation | Equitable infrastructure provision in the less developed world requires recognition of the needs of marginalised groups, such as older people. This paper explores issues relating to the use of household energy sources by older people in a rural village in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and focuses on perceptions of and barriers to electricity uptake. Whilst poor older persons are frequently involved in child care, and together with the young suffer most from the negative effects of indoor air pollution, their access to electricity is limited by constraints including affordability, status and custom. Electrification is considered by the South African government to be a vital development intervention; yet older people tend to be excluded from the concrete benefits of development and their construction and commentaries on energy issues often contain a critique of infrastructural development and the accompanying processes of social change. The article concludes that rather than dismiss older people's attitudes towards electrification, it is necessary to look deeper into what their commentary reveals about missed opportunities, to ensure that development brings with it equitable access and outcomes. |
| Accession Number | CPA-971113224 A |
| Classmark | YOA: W4: 5E: DP: RL: 7PM |
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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