Local community participation of older village residents: Social differences and the role of expectations

Abstract

In rural areas characterised by ageing and declining populations and centralised public and private services, responsibilities for local processes are re-negotiated. In this context, older people's community participation and active ageing are increasingly encouraged in policy documents and discussed by researchers. This paper zooms in on the different ways in which older residents participate in their local communities in a rural region in Germany and how these are related to social differences, participation experiences and expectations. The structuring content analysis of 15 semi-structured interviews reveals that villagers participate, to different degrees, in three fields: local politics, associations and interest groups, and informal community activities. Individuals' experiences of participating in the community are identified as being shaped by complex interrelations between socioeconomic status, gender and residential history. Furthermore, older people's expectations to participate are found as mainly directed towards younger people and incomers. Descriptions of expectations they face encompass other residents' expectations as well as unspecified pressures due to limited means of the municipality. Interpreting these narrations of expectations as forms of responsibilisation, the analysis provides insights into ongoing re-negotiations of responsibilities and reveals the normativity of local community participation in a rural context.