Social Participation and Social Engagement of Elderly People

摘要

This work focuses on the living experience of elderly and disabled people who represent groups of population at risk of marginalisation: they are likely considered to be unable to take part in the so called active life which generally shapes the construction of identity in adulthood. Yet, in terms of social capital and cohesion the participation of elderly and disabled people can offer great treasure for every community.Thus, this dissertation aims to reveal living experiences of elderly people by considering not only ‘sane’ senior citizens, but also by comparing their subjective constructions with those of elderly people with lifelong intellectual disabilities. The intention is to explore their personal strategies of social participation, their embeddedness in social networks and the availability of resources they activate in case of need. The outcomes of this study aim to enrich theory, as well as to reveal crucial mandates for social services and policies.