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Getting out of the house: the use of community transport as a third place for rural-dwelling older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2019

Robert J. Hagan
Robert J. Hagan*
Affiliation:
School of Social Science and Public Policy, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK
*
Email [email protected]
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Abstract

Rural-dwelling older adults experience significant shrinkage in their social networks and capital due to transitions in later life related to poor physical health, mobility difficulties and bereavements. Being rurally located adds an extra layer of disadvantage. This article explores how older adults may use community transport systems to not only facilitate important social tasks but also maintain friendships and other valued relationships. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 11 users of a rural transport community bus service in western Northern Ireland. The interviews identified that participants viewed the transport system as a highly valued conduit for helping escape isolation, maintaining autonomy, and providing an informal space for relationship building and accessing local news.

Keywords

community transportautonomythird placesocial inclusionsocial networks
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 40 , Issue 11 , November 2020 , pp. 2519 - 2539
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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