Ageing and perception of environmental quality

PETROVÁ KAFKOVÁ, Marcela. Ageing and perception of environmental quality. In IFA 11th Global Conference on Ageing, 28.5.-1.6.2012, Prague. 2012.

Basic information

• Original name: Ageing and perception of environmental quality
• Authors: PETROVÁ KAFKOVÁ, Marcela (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: IFA 11th Global Conference on Ageing, 28.5.-1.6.2012, Prague, 2012.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 50000 5. Social Sciences
• Country of publisher: Czech Republic
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14230/12:00057412
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• Keywords in English: ageing; quality of life; environmental quality; inner-city

Abstract

In our paper we are going to analyse the influence of changing environment on the experience of ageing. We are going concentrate on older people living in inner cities of the biggest Czech cities. The inner-city usually has an older demographic structure than the outskirts and gentrification and regeneration, i.e. processes adjusting the space for younger people, have been occurring in different ways. However, older people feel very strong place attachment. Although there is a fairly broad consensus that well-being depends on environmental quality, some researches have shown that it is not always true. Therefore we have paid attention to a correlation between the perceived quality of environment and the individual ageing process. Old age and health limitations seem to imply a more negative perception of environment. On the other hand the importance of environmental quality increases with age. Individual cultural capital can hugely influence the feeling of familiarity with a certain place. Due to these findings we have focused on subjective perception of the environment. Older people can perceive as negative not only the lack of security or deprived or vandalised environment but also aspects desirable from the administrative perspective, e.g. tourism. We have used the data obtained within the research project: “Ageing in the environment: regeneration, gentrification and social exclusion as new issues in environmental gerontology (2010 – 2012)”. The paper has been based on quantitative data analysis of two surveys made within this project in 2011 and the in-depth interviews from 2010.

Links

• GAP404/10/1555, research and development project: Name: Stáří v prostoru: regenerace, gentrifikace a sociální exkluze jako nové problémy environmentální gerontologie

Investor: Czech Science Foundation