Browsing by Author "Timonen, Virpi"
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- A critique of the active ageing indexPublication . São José, José; Timonen, Virpi; Filipe Amado, Carla Alexandra; Santos, Sergio PereiraActive ageing and successful ageing are ubiquitous concepts in contemporary societies. In the European Union, active ageing is monitored and promoted chiefly by the Active Ageing Index, a policy tool in use since 2012. We acknowledge that the MI may contribute to sensitizing people, including policymakers, to the multidimensionality and complexity of the process of "ageing well". However, we note that despite being widely used and promoted, the Active Ageing Index remains under-scrutinized. In this article, we undertake a comprehensive critical analysis of the Active Ageing Index. This critical analysis is supported by the Theory of Model Ageing, the Capability Approach and, to a lesser extent, by relevant literature on composite indices. We conclude that the Active Ageing Index was developed with the paradoxical aim of deriving "the solution" from "the problem". It is an under-theorized and narrowly conceptualized index that contributes to the process of Model Ageing, as its conceptual foundation, and its domains and indicators, convey a certain model of active ageing. This model is expert-based and ingrained with a priori assumptions about the potential of older people, the domains of life and activities they value and how strongly they value them. Finally, the Active Ageing Index measures current achievements, not capabilities (i.e. the opportunity set of achievable "doings" and "beings"), resulting in a valuable but incomplete tool for policymaking purposes. We hope that this critical analysis will initiate a debate on the Active Ageing Index that, in our view, is overdue. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
- Age is not just a number: developing an integrative conceptual framework on agePublication . São José, José; Timonen, VirpiAge is omnipresent in our lives and a fundamental element in the organisation of human societies. Age relations, like other power relations, generate social inequality. As a reflection of its importance, age is frequently used in empirical studies in the field of sociology and other social sciences. However, the social theorisation of age is inchoate and dispersed, compromising empirical research on this topic. This article critically analyses relevant conceptual work on age carried out so far in social sciences, proposes a conceptual framework inspired by sociological theory that integrates and expands this work, and provides a set of propositions on age. This framework provides a multilevel perspective on age, mapping the sociocultural structures in which age is embedded and exerts its influence, as well as the dynamics that are established between them, allowing for an analysis of the relationship between age-based structures and age-related practices. Furthermore, this more comprehensive framework includes relevant constructs that have rarely been considered. It is expected that this article will encourage more conceptually informed use of age in empirical research.
- “I Was... Put in a Cage”: The Experience of COVID-19 Home Confinement among Older Adults Living Alone in Portugal*Publication . São José, José; Timonen, Virpi; Teixeira, Ana Rita; Amado, Carla; Santos, Sérgio Pereira dos; COELHO, PATRICIAThis article presents findings of a qualitative study reporting older adults' experiences of solitary home confinement during Portugal's first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Home confinement was marked by negative experiences, with the exception of one participant who had a particularly favorable combination of resources and circumstances. Negative experiences involved losses in several areas, such as being deprived of out-of-home activities, independence and face-to-face social interactions. Losing out-of-home activi-ties and independence promoted a sense of imprisonment, while losing face-to-face social interactions triggered a feeling of physical loneliness. Considering the potential negative implications of these losses, it is crucial to create innovative solutions that can mitigate them in future lockdowns.