Rural Ageing

This important book addresses a growing international interest in 'age-friendly' communities. It brings together some of the best international scholars working on issues of how people and places influence experiences of ageing, to examine the conflicting stereotypes of rural communities as either idyllic and supportive or isolated and bereft of services. Throughout the book they ask the question, 'good places for whom'? The book extends our understanding of the intersections of rural people and places across the adult lifecourse. Taking a critical human ecology perspective, authors trace lifecourse changes in community and voluntary engagement and in the availability of social support. They highlight diversity among older adults in social inclusion and in the types of services that are essential to their well being.For the first time, detailed information is provided on characteristics of rural communities that make them supportive to different groups of older adults. Comparisons between the UK and North America highlight similarities in how landscapes create rural identities and highlight fundamental differences in how climate, distance and rural culture shape the everyday lives of older adults. "Rural Ageing" is a valuable resource for students, academics and practitioners interested in communities, rural settings and ageing and the lifecourse. Rich in national profiles and grounded in the narratives of older adults, it provides theoretical, empirical and practical examples of growing old in rural communities never before presented.