Diversity of ageing in rural communities

Working Group 5: Diversity of ageing in rural communities

David L. Brown [1], Marit Haugen [2], Nina Glasgow [1], Thomas Scharf [3]

1: Cornell University, USA; 2: Centre for Rural Research, Norway, 3: National University of Ireland-Galway, Ireland

 The world's population is ageing, and in many societies rural populations are ageing faster than their urban counterparts. This working group will focus on the diversity of ageing in rural communities. Such diversity may be evident in relation to age/cohort, gender, socio-economic and health status, social integration, and migration experience. We will focus at both the individual and household levels, as well as at the community level, reflecting variation in the characteristics of rural communities in which people age. Research papers exploring, for example, life course transitions in rural communities, poverty and social exclusion among older rural persons, social roles and social integration, the perceived challenges and opportunities older people face in rural communities, community structures facilitating and constraining social, economic and civic participation among older persons, and many other issues are welcome. We welcome contributions that provide new insights into appropriate theories and methodologies for exploring rural ageing, as well as papers that reflect contrasting national contexts. Our goal is to assemble a set of papers that critically explore the diversity of ageing in rural environments as well as emerging theories and methodologies useful for examining the determinants and consequences of rural ageing at the micro, meso and macro levels. Papers exploring public policy responses to an ageing rural population are also encouraged.