Environment and Identity in Later Life

Peace, Sheila; Holland, Caroline and Kellaher, Leonie (2006). Environment and Identity in Later Life. Growing Older. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.

Abstract

Throughout life, our everyday interactions with material, social and psychological environments influence our self identity; and 'who we think we are' influences how we behave in particular places. In later life, people bring to this relationship a lifetime's experience that makes certain associations more or less important. This book explores the relationship between environment and identity for older people.

In this detailed ethnographic study, older people talk in depth about their situations and experiences of space and place. The book examines the experiences of men and women of different ages and cultures living in a range of different kinds of places, including 'ordinary' and 'special' housing - from a high-rise flat to a resiential care home - in semi-rural, urban and metropolitan locations within the Midlands and south-east England.

This research enables us to appreciate how older people manage their needs within the context of their whole lives. Many are able to achieve a 'life of quality' as they constantly engage and re-engage with their environment. The discussion of how environmental complexity influences people in developing and maintaining their own identity is essential for those involved in planning, designing, caring and supporting people as they age.

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