This important book addresses a growing international interest in
'age-friendly' communities. It examines the conflicting stereotypes of
rural communities as either idyllic and supportive or isolated and
bereft of services. Providing detailed information on the
characteristics of rural communities, contributors ask the question,
'good places for whom'? The book extends our understanding of the
intersections of rural people and places across the adult lifecourse.
Taking a critical human ecology perspective, authors trace lifecourse
changes in community and voluntary engagement and in the availability of
social support. They illustrate diversity among older adults in social
inclusion and in the types of services that are essential to their well
being. For the first time, detailed information is provided on
characteristics of rural communities that make them supportive to
different groups of older adults. Comparisons between the UK and North
America highlight similarities in how landscapes create rural
identities, and fundamental differences in how climate, distance and
rural culture shape the everyday lives of older adults. Rural ageing is
a valuable resource for students, academics and practitioners interested
in communities, rural settings and ageing and the lifecourse. Rich in
national profiles and grounded in the narratives of older adults, it
provides theoretical, empirical and practical examples of growing old in
rural communities never before presented.
