Everyday influence - Democracy when health and social care are part of everyday life
(2023) In Ageing and Society 43(10). p.2229-2238- Abstract
This article contributes to ongoing discussions about frailty and vulnerability in critical gerontology by asserting that possibilities to engage and enact influence in everyday life situations is a crucial dimension of democracy in later life. We discuss how democracy in this sense can be threatened for older persons for whom health and social care services are needed, following from the labelling practices of frailty and the non-recognition of the social processes that set capabilities in motion. We utilise three examples grounded in research with older persons in their home environment in a Swedish context. The examples show how older people use creative, emotional, practical and social resources to integrate activities in a manner... (More)
This article contributes to ongoing discussions about frailty and vulnerability in critical gerontology by asserting that possibilities to engage and enact influence in everyday life situations is a crucial dimension of democracy in later life. We discuss how democracy in this sense can be threatened for older persons for whom health and social care services are needed, following from the labelling practices of frailty and the non-recognition of the social processes that set capabilities in motion. We utilise three examples grounded in research with older persons in their home environment in a Swedish context. The examples show how older people use creative, emotional, practical and social resources to integrate activities in a manner that address their needs and capabilities, and influence the situations in direction towards how and when to be engaged in everyday activities. Based on a discussion of the examples, we argue that health and social care services that provide and build social infrastructures need to recognise the potential concurrency of interdependency, vulnerability and agency within older persons' local everyday practices. This to address capabilities and enable concrete expression of democracy in everyday situations. Overall, we suggest that conceptual and methodological shifts in research, as well as policy and practice, are needed to bring democratic processes forward through the relational and situated aspects of resources, agency and influence.
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- author
- Asaba, Eric LU ; Mondaca, Margarita ; Josephsson, Staffan and Johansson, Karin
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- capability, frailty, health care, social care, vulnerability
- in
- Ageing and Society
- volume
- 43
- issue
- 10
- pages
- 2229 - 2238
- publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85118997206
- ISSN
- 0144-686X
- DOI
- 10.1017/S0144686X21001653
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press.
- id
- f635a2ae-a33e-4e1d-8c1d-08b8232e2ea9
- date added to LUP
- 2021-12-02 15:53:06
- date last changed
- 2024-02-20 17:45:11
@article{f635a2ae-a33e-4e1d-8c1d-08b8232e2ea9,
abstract = {{<p>This article contributes to ongoing discussions about frailty and vulnerability in critical gerontology by asserting that possibilities to engage and enact influence in everyday life situations is a crucial dimension of democracy in later life. We discuss how democracy in this sense can be threatened for older persons for whom health and social care services are needed, following from the labelling practices of frailty and the non-recognition of the social processes that set capabilities in motion. We utilise three examples grounded in research with older persons in their home environment in a Swedish context. The examples show how older people use creative, emotional, practical and social resources to integrate activities in a manner that address their needs and capabilities, and influence the situations in direction towards how and when to be engaged in everyday activities. Based on a discussion of the examples, we argue that health and social care services that provide and build social infrastructures need to recognise the potential concurrency of interdependency, vulnerability and agency within older persons' local everyday practices. This to address capabilities and enable concrete expression of democracy in everyday situations. Overall, we suggest that conceptual and methodological shifts in research, as well as policy and practice, are needed to bring democratic processes forward through the relational and situated aspects of resources, agency and influence.</p>}},
author = {{Asaba, Eric and Mondaca, Margarita and Josephsson, Staffan and Johansson, Karin}},
issn = {{0144-686X}},
keywords = {{capability; frailty; health care; social care; vulnerability}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{10}},
pages = {{2229--2238}},
publisher = {{Cambridge University Press}},
series = {{Ageing and Society}},
title = {{Everyday influence - Democracy when health and social care are part of everyday life}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21001653}},
doi = {{10.1017/S0144686X21001653}},
volume = {{43}},
year = {{2023}},
}