SOCIAL CAPITAL, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE: A CASE OF OLDER WOMEN FROM AN URBAN CONTEXT IN INDIA

Abstract

Social capital plays a key role in determining the quality of life of people, and more so for older persons. Social networks and participation in them are elements of social capital that act as catalysts of coordination/cooperation, and essential to achieve better (social and/or economic and/or health) outcomes or quality of life (QoL). Social participation and social networks have a bidirectional relationship that strengthens the social capital which determines the QoL of an individual. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to understand the QoL and its determinants among older women living in an urban context. It was observed that social capital and its elements (social networks operationalised as social contacts and social relations; being able to trust someone and the participation of older women in political processes) were important determinants of their QoL. Older women are more prone to social isolation, and age and economic class
are important determinants of social capital as well as the QoL. Social work interventions to improve the social capital of older women by adopting a multi-pronged approach - of strengthening family and social ties at one end, and improving infrastructure in the form of designing age-friendly environments, alongside improving access to transportation at the other end - facilitate social networking and promote positive ageing.