Civic engagement and social wellbeing among aged people in Ahwaz City, Iran
Iran and its aged society are facing some issues i.e. decreasing civic engagement and social participation, reducing social well-being and quality of life that significantly impact the current social structures in Iran and will continue to do so in the future. If such issues are ignored, Iranian...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/76009/1/IG%202014%201%20IR.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/76009/ |
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| Summary: | Iran and its aged society are facing some issues i.e. decreasing civic engagement and
social participation, reducing social well-being and quality of life that significantly
impact the current social structures in Iran and will continue to do so in the future. If
such issues are ignored, Iranian society will be faced with the consequences of
having problems among the aged population. As a result, there will be negative
implications on communal relations, discrimination, and unjust distribution of
resources based on a gender-ethnic basis that will affect the well-being and quality of
life. This study describes the current situation of the elderly in Iranian society from a
gender-ethnic perspective, analysing civic engagement, social wellbeing, background
issues of the aged, their social interactions, and makes recommendations to enhance
their social life. The theories used include social well-being theory of Keyes and
Shapiro (1998-2009), civic engagement in the theories of Putnam and Knock (2002),
and activity theory. Also, demographic-individual inquiries were used i.e.
socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, economic and health status, and aging in
place. The population of the study is aged citizens 60 years old and above (N=51594)
in Ahwaz city, the provincial capital of Khuzistan in southwest of Iran. Sampling
method was cluster-ratio based on municipal zones, ethnicity, and gender. The
sample size was 382 (195 male and 187 female) according to the Cochran formula
and adapted to Morgan’s table. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, F
test, ANOVA, the generalized linear model, and multiple regression analysis. Also,
the reliability of inventories was examined by Cronbach’s alpha and the results were
(α=.65 for loneliness scale, .70 for scale of social well-being, .66 for civic
engagement, and .84 for scale of aging in place). Descriptive findings indicated the
economically poor situation of the aged samples, and while their health status was
moderated, there were some issues. The majority of them were officially illiterate
with low quality of nutrition and high prevalence of chronic conditions. Total
Measure of basic variables showed civic engagement as low, social well-being as
moderate, and loneliness as high. Multiple regression analysis and its assumptions
were carried out and the predictor variables i.e. civic engagement and background
variables on social well-being were estimated and discussed. Ethnicity and gender
were found to enhance both civic engagement and social well-being at the first step. The AiP and demographic issue on civic engagement, health and economic status on
SWB were the next items that enhanced the basic variables. The generalized linear
model reported gender-ethnic discrimination that directly affected civic engagement
and social well-being of aged samples and the objectives of the study were confirmed
as well. The results indicated that some predictors enhanced the social well-being
indicators. Gender and ethnicity affected on social well-being in the highest level.
Based on the findings, discussions and suggestions are made for future research on
social gerontology and aging policymaking. Future research therefore needs to focus
on ethnicity, gender-related issues, and community level of the lifestyle of aging in
the society, especially in developing countries like Iran. |
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