Governing aging people in a rural commune during the Covid-19 pandemic: A case study

Abstract

Based on the case study of a rural commune, this article analyzes how the challenges of ensuring the inclusion, participation and protection of older residents were addressed by local political actors and partly redefined following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It appears that the mutual knowledge between the inhabitants, the proximity of public and private players and the relational and organizational capital of the people in charge are the main levers that can be used to govern older inhabitants. The research shed light on the gap between local actors’ perceptions of older residents, of their expectations and needs and the way older inhabitants themselves define their own place within the town.