Perspectives on the Future of the Sociology of Aging (2012) / Chapter Skim
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4 Networks, Neighborhoods, and Institutions: An Integrated "Activity Space" Approach for Research on Aging
4 Networks, Neighborhoods, and Institutions: An Integrated "Activity Space" Approach for Research on Aging
Pages 60-80
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From page 60... ...
In this chapter, we focus on the conceptualization and measurement of the social space that older adults inhabit, exploring implications for research on residential context. We approach this review broadly, incorporating research on social networks and institutional contexts that bear on the interpretation of "neighborhood effects." Our initial aim is to illustrate that community can take many forms, and that networks, neighborhoods, and institutions, independent or interdependent, combine to shape the social environment in which older adults are embedded.
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From page 61... ...
analysis of data from the Social Networks in Adult Life survey indicates that receiving and providing social support are associated with better well-being among adults ages 50 and older, although these associations vary by the type of relationship to the alter (i.e., nominated network member) and the number of alters supported.
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From page 62... ...
Drawing on key theoretical approaches that have been used to frame research on neighborhoods, we review health-related implications of neighborhood social structural and social process environments for older adults. Research on the neighborhood context of health across the life course has drawn heavily from social disorganization theory -- a longstanding theoretical approach with roots in the Chicago School of sociology.
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From page 63... ...
Regardless of the operationalization, a growing body of evidence suggests that neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) matters for the health of older adults, with some research finding evidence that neighborhood SES explains older adult health disparities between race groups (Cagney, Browning, and Wen, 2005; Yao and Robert, 2008)
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From page 64... ...
. Research on the neighborhood context of older adult health remains incipient, but suggests the importance of neighborhood environments in shaping health outcomes.
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From page 65... ...
The density and quality of the institutional environment may have important implications for older adult health and may also mediate the influence of residence in a disadvantaged neighborhood context on aging-related outcomes. We consider institutional involvement and access across a continuum from more formal organizations, to availability and quality of local businesses, to informal and unstructured but patterned interaction.
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From page 66... ...
These challenges may apply to contextual research more generally, but specific aspects are particularly consequential for research on aging and will be discussed in detail accordingly. Silos in Contextual Research and Implications for Theoretical Integration As suggested in our review of the extant literature on the social context of aging, the role of network, residential neighborhood, and institutional contexts in shaping aging-related processes cannot be easily disentangled.
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From page 67... ...
Substantial advances in this area, however, will require more complex theoretical models that explicitly acknowledge the multifaceted nature of social contextual influence. Extant theoretical models point toward this insight, but few efforts to understand the simultaneous and interactive effects of social network, geographic, and institutional influences have been attempted.
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From page 68... ...
Data and Measures Theory cannot be adequately tested, nor can efforts to address problems of selection and causation, in the absence of high-quality data collection efforts. An obvious advance would be to incorporate social contextual measures into ongoing, longitudinal investigations of older adult well-being.
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From page 69... ...
NEW DIRECTIONS Despite the substantial challenges facing investigation of social context effects on aging, emerging directions in conceptualization and measurement hold the promise to significantly advance research in this area. Specifically, we focus on the concept of activity space as an integrative approach to capturing older adult spatial, social, and institutional exposures.
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From page 70... ...
Conversely, the harmful effects of concentrated disadvantage might be alleviated when individuals are routinely exposed to more affluent or prosocial contexts. Although advanced age and disability may limit the potential to travel beyond the residential neighborhood, as noted earlier, the assumption of age-constricted routine activity spaces has not been investigated empirically (Cagney and York Cornwell, 2011)
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From page 71... ...
Framing theoretical approaches and analyses using the activity space concept may also help develop research designs that are better equipped to infer causal effects of social contexts. Clearly, the challenge of establishing causal effects of social contextual variables is one that social scientists will not easily overcome.
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From page 72... ...
approach, patterns of residential interconnection through shared activity locations may capture important features of the social organization of a neighborhood. For instance, the pattern of these actor-location ties or "co-location networks" may have consequences for neighborhood processes such as social network formation and sustainability, the emergence of trust and neighborhood attachments, and shared expectations for informal social control and action on behalf of the local community (Browning et al., 2011)
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From page 73... ...
Research on the social context of aging faces a variety of challenges and opportunities in the coming years. Significant advances have characterized research on specific social contexts, demonstrating the role of social networks, neighborhoods, and institutions in shaping trajectories of older adult health and well-being.
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From page 74... ...
PREPUBLICATION COPY -- UNCORRECTED PROOFS FIGURE 4-1 Affiliation network of older adults and neighborhood places.
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From page 75... ...
. The paradox of social organization: Networks, collective efficacy, and violent crime in urban neighborhoods.
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From page 76... ...
. Resources for physical activity participation: Does availability and accessibility differ by neighborhood socioeconomic status?
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From page 77... ...
. Neighborhood contextual influences on depressive symptoms in the elderly.
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From page 78... ...
. Age variation in the relationship between community socioeconomic status and adult health.
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From page 79... ...
. Social networks and health.
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From page 80... ...
. The contributions of race, individual socioeconomic status, and neighborhood socioeconomic context on the self-rated health trajectories and mortality of older adults.
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