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  • © 2015

Social Capital as a Health Resource in Later Life: The Relevance of Context

  • Examines the social aspects of healthy ageing for older individuals living in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa in various contexts
  • Features more than 15 papers written by expert researchers that offer a multi-disciplinary approach to the subject
  • Offers implications and recommendations for research and practice
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging (Int. Perspect. Aging, volume 11)

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
  2. Healthy Ageing: Focus on Social Capital

    • Fredrica Nyqvist, Anna K. Forsman
    Pages 1-11
  3. Social capital and health as a resource for the individual

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 13-13
    2. Social Network Type and Health among Older Americans

      • Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra, Howard Litwin
      Pages 15-31
    3. Dynamic Social Capital and Mental Health in Late Life

      • Tal Spalter, Ariela Lowenstein, Noah Lewin-Epstein
      Pages 33-49
    4. The Importance of Social Capital for Health among Older People: The Bourdieu Perspective

      • Johanna Muckenhuber, Nathalie Burkert, Franziska Großschädl, Éva Rasky
      Pages 51-64
  4. Social Capital and Health in Various Countries

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 155-155
    2. Social Participation and Health: A Cross-Country Investigation among Older Europeans

      • Nicolas Sirven, Caroline Berchet, Howard Litwin
      Pages 177-190
    3. The Role of Welfare States and Social Capital for Self-Rated Health among Older Europeans

      • Mikael Rostila, Mikael Nygård, Fredrica Nyqvist
      Pages 207-229
  5. Implications and Recommendations for Research and Practice

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 231-231

About this book

This book examines the social aspects of healthy ageing for older individuals. It features more than 15 papers that explore the relevance of the social environment for health on the micro, meso, and macro level. Overall, the book applies a comprehensive contextual approach that includes discussion of how family and friends, neighborhoods, nations, and welfare regimes influence health.

The book first explores the issue on the individual level. It looks at the importance of social capital for health among older people, examines types of social networks and health among older Americans, as well as discusses dynamic social capital and mental health in late life.

Next, the book looks at the issue through a neighborhood and societal context, which takes into account day-to-day interaction in the immediate environment as well as the social, health, and economic policies in place in different regions in the world, including America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

From there, the book goes on to offer implications and recommendations for research and practice, including the management of related concepts of research on well-being and health. It also offers a psychosocial approach to promoting social capital and mental health among older adults.

This book provides health professionals as well as researchers and students in gerontology, sociology, social policy, psychology, and social work with vital insights into the social factors that increase healthy life years and promote well-being.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Study Programme in Social Sciences, Social Policy, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland

    Fredrica Nyqvist

  • Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Study Programme in Social Sciences, Developmental Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland

    Anna K. Forsman

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Social Capital as a Health Resource in Later Life: The Relevance of Context

  • Editors: Fredrica Nyqvist, Anna K. Forsman

  • Series Title: International Perspectives on Aging

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9615-6

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-94-017-9614-9Published: 20 March 2015

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-94-024-0712-9Published: 09 October 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-017-9615-6Published: 20 February 2015

  • Series ISSN: 2197-5841

  • Series E-ISSN: 2197-585X

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 267

  • Number of Illustrations: 4 b/w illustrations, 2 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Aging, Geriatrics/Gerontology

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access