Discovering social capital among older adults in the urban communities of Shanghai

Abstract

Many contemporary perspectives on aging have focused on the high degree of variability of social capital among older adults. Some studies regard older adults as less able and willing to engage in society and are thus viewed as a disadvantaged group in need of social capital (Martin and Harold 1995) while other studies suggest that older adults serve to sustain social capital both for the community and the family (Chen and Wong 2009, Quah 2003). There are competing images of what “aging gracefully” means among older adults (Moody 1993), and even those who have reached an advanced age, developed chronic illnesses and disabilities still have the potential to sustain active roles and make substantial contributions to their communities (Morris and Caro 1995). Thanks to their desire “to lead an active life” (O’Reilly and Caro 1994, Quah, 2003), future generations of better-educated older adults will be more likely to remain active and independent (Kerschner and Pegues 1998) and perform socially valued roles (Bass and Caro 2001).