Loneliness among older people as a social problem: the perspectives of medicine, religion and economy

Content Provider	Scilit
Author	Schirmer, Werner Michailakis, Dimitris
Copyright Year	2015
Description	This article offers a theoretical framework for studying loneliness among older people from a social problems perspective. The framework combines the constructionist approach to social problems (Spector and Kitsuse) and systems theory (Luhmann). Based on the first approach, we understand the social problem of loneliness among older people to be the result of claims-making activities by different key actors. These activities are guided by underlying moralities, causalities and solutions. With the second approach, we can explain how social problems are framed differently within different social systems. The proposed framework is primarily aimed at researchers studying social (in contrast to bio-medical or psychological) aspects of loneliness among older people. It helps not only to guide research designs in order to address conflicting perspectives, rationalities and interests but also to enable researchers to grasp fully how ‘loneliness among older people’ is attributed (potentially shifting) meanings through communicative acts by influential stakeholders in the ‘social problems industry‘. Combining constructionism and Luhmann's theory also helps to interpret and explain concrete claims-making concerning loneliness as a social problem. The argument in this article is illustrated via three different social systems: medicine, religion and economy. Loneliness among older people appears to be something different from each of these perspectives: as a matter of health and illness, of spirituality, and of incentives and commodities, respectively.
Related Links	http://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1014940/FULLTEXT01 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/734A318AEBF326C9A00B9BDFE1EBFDC6/S0144686X15000999a.pdf/div-class-title-loneliness-among-older-people-as-a-social-problem-the-perspectives-of-medicine-religion-and-economy-div.pdf
Ending Page	1579
Page Count	21
Starting Page	1559
ISSN	0144686X
e-ISSN	14691779
DOI	10.1017/s0144686x15000999
Journal	Ageing and Society
Issue Number	8
Volume Number	36
Language	English
Publisher	Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Publisher Date	2015-08-27
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	Ageing and Society Biomedical Social Sciences
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Arts and Humanities Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Health (social science) Social Psychology Geriatrics and Gerontology