Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-03T05:59:15.806Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Getting out of the house: the use of community transport as a third place for rural-dwelling older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2019

Robert J. Hagan
Robert J. Hagan*
Affiliation:
School of Social Science and Public Policy, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK
*
Email r.j.hagan@keele.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Rural-dwelling older adults experience significant shrinkage in their social networks and capital due to transitions in later life related to poor physical health, mobility difficulties and bereavements. Being rurally located adds an extra layer of disadvantage. This article explores how older adults may use community transport systems to not only facilitate important social tasks but also maintain friendships and other valued relationships. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 11 users of a rural transport community bus service in western Northern Ireland. The interviews identified that participants viewed the transport system as a highly valued conduit for helping escape isolation, maintaining autonomy, and providing an informal space for relationship building and accessing local news.

Keywords

community transportautonomythird placesocial inclusionsocial networks
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 40 , Issue 11 , November 2020 , pp. 2519 - 2539
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Age UK (2013) Later Life in Rural England. London: Age UK.Google Scholar
Ahern, A and Hine, J (2012) Rural transport: valuing the mobility of older people. Research in Transportation Economics 34, 27–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, J, Balfour, R, Bell, R and Marmot, M (2014) Social determinants of mental health. International Review of Psychiatry 26, 392–407.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anstey, KJ, Windsor, TD, Luszcz, MA and Andrews, GR (2006) Predicting driving cessation over 5 years in older adults: psychological well-being and cognitive competence are stronger predictors than physical health. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 54, 121–126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Banister, D and Bowling, A (2004) Quality of life for the elderly: the transport dimension. Transport Policy 11, 105–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barclay, L (2000) Autonomy and the social self. In Mackenzie, C and Stoljar, N (eds), Relational Autonomy: Feminist Perspectives on Autonomy, Agency and the Social Self. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 52–71.Google Scholar
Boyle, G (2008) Autonomy in long-term care: a need, a right or a luxury? Disability and Society 23, 299–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brake, J, Mulley, C, Nelson, JD and Wright, S (2007) Key lessons learned from recent experience with flexible transport services. Transport Policy 14, 458–466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burholt, V and Scharf, T (2014) Poor health and loneliness in later life: the role of depressive symptoms, social resources, and rural environments. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 69B, 311–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carey, M (2015) Journey's end? From residual service to newer forms of pathology, risk aversion and abandonment in social work with older people. Journal of Social Work 16, 344–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cattan, M, White, M, Bond, J and Learmouth, A (2005) Preventing social isolation and loneliness among older people: a systematic review of health promotion interventions. Ageing & Society 25, 41–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christman, J (2004) Relational autonomy, liberal individualism, and the social constitution of selves. Philosophical Studies 117, 143–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chung, PK, Zhang, CQ, Liu, JD, Chan, DKC, Si, G and Hagger, MS (2018) The process by which perceived autonomy support predicts motivation, intention, and behavior for seasonal influenza prevention in Hong Kong older adults. BMC Public Health 18, 65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Committee for Regional Development (2013) Inquiry into the better use of public and community sector funds for the delivery of bus transport in Northern Ireland. Hansard. Available at http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/official-report/committee-minutes-of-evidence/session-2012-2013/january-2013/inquiry-into-the-better-use-of-public-and-community-sector-funds-for-the-delivery-of-bus-transport-in-northern-ireland-easilink-community-transport-briefing/.Google Scholar
Cooper, J, Ryley, T and Smyth, A (2001) Contemporary lifestyles and the implications for sustainable development policy: lessons from the UK's most car dependent city, Belfast. Cities 18, 103–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davey, JA (2007) Older people and transport: coping without a car. Ageing & Society 27, 49–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davidson, S and Rossall, P (2015) Evidence Review: Loneliness in Later Life. London: Age UK.Google Scholar
Davison, L, Enoch, M, Ryley, T, Quddus, M and Wang, C (2014) A survey of demand responsive transport in Great Britain. Transport Policy 31, 47–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department for Infrastructure (2017) Travel Survey for Northern Ireland In-depth Report, 2014–16. Belfast: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.Google Scholar
Department for Infrastructure (2019) Travel Survey for Northern Ireland In-depth Report, 2015–17. Belfast: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.Google Scholar
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland (DHSSPSNI) (2014) Making Life Better: A Whole System Strategic Framework for Public Health. Belfast: DHSSPSNI.Google Scholar
Devine, P and Montgomery, L (2017) Social engagement of older people. In Cruise, S and Kee, F (eds), Early Key Findings from a Study of Older People in Northern Ireland: The NICOLA Study. Belfast: Queen's University Belfast/Northern Ireland Cohort from the Longitudinal Study of Ageing, pp. 46–55.Google Scholar
Dickerson, AE, Molnar, LJ, Bedard, M, Eby, DW, Berg-Weger, M, Choi, M, Grigg, J, Horowitz, A, Meuser, T, Myers, A, O'Connor, M and Silverstein, NM (2017) Transportation and aging: an update research agenda to advance safe mobility among older adults transitioning from driving to non-driving. The Gerontologist 59, 215–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doebler, S (2016) Access to a car and the self-reported health and mental health of people aged 65 and older in Northern Ireland. Research on Aging 38, 453–476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Doyal, L and Gough, I (1991) A Theory of Human Need. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan Education.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrington, J and Farrington, C (2005) Rural accessibility, social inclusion and social justice: towards conceptualisation. Journal of Transport Geography 13, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fergus, L (2016) Stormont threat to transport lifeline for rural communities. thedetail. Available at http://www.thedetail.tv/articles/transport-at-the-heart-of-the-community-provides-more-than-200-000-trips.Google Scholar
Fristedt, S, Björklund, A, Wretstrand, A and Falkmer, T (2011) Continuing mobility and occupational participation outside the home in old age is an act of negotiation. Activities, Adaptation and Aging 35, 275–297.Google Scholar
Glass, TA, Mendes de Leon, CF, Bassuk, SS and Berkman, LF (2006) Social engagement and depressive symptoms in late life. Journal of Aging and Health 18, 604–628.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goll, JC, Charlesworth, G, Scior, K and Stott, J (2015) Barriers to social participation among lonely older adults: the influence of social fears and identity. PLOS ONE 10, e0116664.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gray, D (2004) Rural transport and social exclusion: developing a rural transport typology. Built Environment 30, 172–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, D, Shaw, J, and Farrington, J (2006) Community transport, social capital and social exclusion in rural areas. Area 38, 89–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, J, Jones, A and Roberts, H (2014) More than A to B: the role of free bus travel for the mobility and wellbeing of older citizens in London. Ageing & Society 34, 472–494.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halpern, D (2005) Social Capital. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Heenan, D (2006) The factors influencing access to health and social care in the farming communities of County Down, Northern Ireland. Ageing & Society 26, 373–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heenan, D (2010) Social capital and older people in farming communities. Journal of Aging Studies 24, 40–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
House of Commons Transport Committee (2017) Community Transport and the Department for Transport's Proposed Consultation. Available at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmtrans/480/480.pdf.Google Scholar
Kamruzzaman, M and Hine, J (2012) Analysis of rural activity spaces and transport disadvantage using a multi-method approach. Transport Policy 19, 105–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kamruzzaman, M, Hine, J and Yigitcanlar, T (2015) Investigating the link between carbon dioxide emissions and transport-related social exclusion in rural Northern Ireland. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 12, 3463–3478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kenealy, T, Goodyear-Smith, F, Wells, S, Arroll, B, Jackson, R and Horsburgh, M (2011) Patient preference for autonomy: does it change as risk rises? Family Practice 28, 541–544.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leece, J and Peace, S (2010) Developing new understandings of independence and autonomy in the personalised relationship. British Journal of Social Work 40, 1847–1865.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Locus/Age NI (2014) Age-friendly Belfast: Baseline Report. Belfast: Belfast Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership.Google Scholar
Lucas, K (2012) Transport and social exclusion: where are we now? Transport Policy 20, 105–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lucas, K, Mattioli, G, Verlinghieri, E and Guzman, A (2016) Transport poverty and its adverse social consequences. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Transport 169, 353–365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackenzie, C and Stoljar, N (2000) Autonomy reconfigured. In Mackenzie, C and Stoljar, N (eds), Relational Autonomy: Feminist Perspectives on Autonomy, Agency and the Social Self. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 3–34.Google Scholar
Mackett, R (2015) Improving accessibility for older people: investing in a valuable asset. Journal of Transport and Health 2, 5–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milbourne, P and Doheny, S (2012) Older people and poverty in rural Britain: material hardships, cultural denials and social inclusions. Journal of Rural Studies 28, 389–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Musselwhite, C and Haddad, H (2010) Mobility, accessibility and quality of later life. Quality in Ageing and Older Adults 11, 25–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nutley, S (2001) Community transport in Northern Ireland: a policy review. Irish Geography 34, 50–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nutley, S (2005) Monitoring rural travel behaviour: a longitudinal study in Northern Ireland 1979–2001. Journal of Transport Geography 13, 247–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) (2006) Ageing in an Inclusive Society. Belfast: OFMDFM.Google Scholar
Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) (2015) A Profile of Older People in Northern Ireland; 2015 Update. Belfast: OFMDFM/Northern Ireland Research and Statistics Agency.Google Scholar
Oguz, S, Merad, S and Snape, D (2013) Measuring National Well-being: What Matters Most to Personal Well-being? Newport, UK: Office for National Statistics.Google Scholar
Oldenburg, R and Brissett, D (1982) The third place. Qualitative Sociology 5, 265–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parry, J, Vegeris, S, Hudson, M, Barnes, H and Taylor, R (2004) Independent Living in Later Life (Research Report No. 216). Leeds, UK: Department for Work and Pensions.Google Scholar
Pennington, TM (2017) Third Place: Creating a Library Environment that Opens Doors for Collaboration, Value, and Student Achievement (Doctoral dissertation). University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO.Google Scholar
Perrig-Chiello, P, Perrig, WJ, Uebelbacher, A and Stähelin, HB (2006) Impact of physical and psychological resources on functional autonomy in old age. Psychology, Health and Medicine 11, 470–482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peters, DM (2016) Inked: historic African-American beach site as collective memory and group ‘third place’ sociability on Martha's Vineyard. Leisure Studies 35, 187–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, A (1970) Londonderry, Northern Ireland: a border study. Scottish Geographical Magazine 86, 208–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenbaum, MS, Ward, J, Walker, BA and Ostrom, AL (2007) A cup of coffee with a dash of love: an investigation of commercial social support and third-place attachment. Journal of Service Research 10, 43–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosso, AL, Taylor, JA, Tabb, LP and Michael, YL (2013) Mobility, disability, and social engagement in older adults. Journal of Aging and Health 25, 617–637.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rozanova, J, Keating, N and Eales, J (2012) Unequal social engagement for older adults: constraints on choice. Canadian Journal on Aging 31, 25–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shergold, I and Parkhurst, G (2012) Transport-related social exclusion amongst older people in rural Southwest England and Wales. Journal of Rural Studies 28, 412–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shergold, I, Parkhurst, G and Musselwhite, C (2012) Rural car dependence: an emerging barrier to community activity for older people. Transportation Planning and Technology 35, 69–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherwin, S and Winsby, M (2011) A relational perspective on autonomy for older adults residing in nursing homes. Health Expectations 14, 182–190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shortland, V, Redman, H and Wildman, S (2014) What Next for Community Transport? Insights and Ideas for Action. Hyde, UK: Community Transport Association.Google Scholar
Siren, A and Haustein, S (2015) What are the impacts of giving up the driving licence? Ageing & Society 35, 1821–1838.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, N, Hirsch, D and Davis, A (2012) Accessibility and capability: the minimum transport needs and costs of rural households. Journal of Transport Geography 21, 93–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sørensen, JF (2018) The importance of place-based, internal resources for the population development in small rural communities. Journal of Rural Studies 59, 78–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spicker, P (1990) Social work and self-determination. British Journal of Social Work 20, 221–236.Google Scholar
Steptoe, A, Shankar, A, Demakakos, P and Wardle, J (2013) Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110, 5797–5801.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stevens, M, Glendinning, C, Jacobs, S, Moran, N, Challis, D, Manthorpe, J, Fernandez, JL, Jones, K, Knapp, M, Netten, A and Wilberforce, M (2011) Assessing the role of increasing choice in English social care services. Journal of Social Policy 40, 257–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terluin, IJ (2003) Differences in economic development in rural regions of advanced countries: an overview and critical analysis of theories. Journal of Rural Studies 19, 327–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Treacy, P, Butler, M, Byrne, A, Drennan, J, Fealy, G, Frazer, K and Irving, K (2004) Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older Irish People. Dublin: National Council on Ageing and Older People.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tregear, A and Cooper, S (2016) Embeddedness, social capital and learning in rural areas: the case of producer cooperatives. Journal of Rural Studies 44, 101–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuan, YF (2001) Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Urry, J (2002) Mobility and proximity. Sociology 36, 255–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Urry, J (2012) Social networks, mobile lives and social inequalities. Journal of Transport Geography 21, 24–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uvnas Moberg, K (2013) The Hormone of Closeness: The Role of Oxytocin in Relationships. London: Pinter and Martin.Google Scholar
Walker, J, Orpin, P, Baynes, H, Stratford, E, Boyer, K, Mahjouri, N, Patterson, C, Robinson, A and Carty, J (2013) Insights and principles for supporting social engagement in rural older people. Ageing & Society 33, 938–963.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, K, O'Shea, E and Scharf, T (2012) Social Exclusion and Ageing in Diverse Rural Communities. Galway, Ireland: Irish Centre for Social Gerontology/Healthy Ageing in Rural Communities.Google Scholar
Walsh, K, Scharf, T and Keating, N (2017) Social exclusion of older persons: a scoping review and conceptual framework. European Journal of Ageing 14, 81–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warburton, J, Scharf, T and Walsh, K (2017) Flying under the radar? Risks of social exclusion for older people in rural communities in Australia, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Sociologia Ruralis 57, 459–480.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westlund, AC (2009) Rethinking relational autonomy. Hypatia 24, 26–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zeitler, E and Buys, L (2015) Mobility and out-of-home activities of older people living in suburban environments: ‘Because I'm a driver, I don't have a problem’. Ageing & Society 35, 785–808.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ziegler, F and Schwanen, T (2011) ‘I like to go out to be energised by different people’: an exploratory analysis of mobility and wellbeing in later life. Ageing & Society 31, 758–781.CrossRefGoogle Scholar