The Rickshaw as In-Between: Heterotopias and Social Participation in Aging

Abstract

As the population aged 65 and older significantly increases, understanding the dynamics within nursing homes becomes crucial. Residents often face loneliness upon entering these facilities, experiencing a disconnection from their previous lives and parts of society. The initiative “Cycling Without Age” fosters reconnection through volunteer-led rickshaw rides. This study conceptualizes the rickshaw as an in-between space, expanding on Foucault's notion of heterotopia. By examining the interplay between nursing homes as heterotopic sites and the rickshaw as an intermediary space, this study draws on 24 qualitative interviews with volunteers, highlighting how the interactions between pilots and passengers enhance social engagement and challenge existing societal structures such as spatial exclusion. Our theoretical-conceptual contribution engages in a ludic dialogue between Foucault's concept of heterotopias and our empirical material, speculating on the role that the rickshaw, as a mobile, micro-scale in-between space, can play between the heterotopic nursing home and the non-heterotopic rest of space.