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PARTNERS
This study was funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU, Mission 4, Component 2, in the framework of the GRINS - Growing Resilient, INclusive and Sustainable project.
Leading institution: Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro", Italy
Coordinator: Roberto Zanola (Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro", Italy)
Partner: Osservatorio Culturale del Piemonte (OCP)
BACKGROUND
According to the World Social Report 2023, the number of people aged 65 or over globally will increase from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050, more than doubling in less than thirty years. According to United Nations estimates, people aged 65+ will outnumber those aged 25 and under in Western countries by the middle of this century.
Creative and cultural participation play a vital role in promoting social cohesion, inclusion, and the accumulation of social capital among the elderly (Belfiore, 2002, Ferraro et al., 2019). Grossi et al. (2011) analysed the social dimension of cultural activities and found that collective participation motivates older people to engage in activities that they would not typically practice alone. McLean et al. (2011) surveyed 31 studies on people over 60, mostly based in the UK and USA, and concluded that participatory art programs provide opportunities for social contact, friendship, and support within the art groups themselves.
In general, cultural participation improves the well-being of older people and counteracts the negative effects of ageing. Noice et al. (2014) reviewed the benefits and challenges of participatory arts for older adults and highlighted the importance of dance, expressing writing, music, theatre arts, and visual arts in improving their quality of life. Archer et al. (2018) examined a spectrum of 40 different factors that could potentially contribute to overall well-being. Among these factors, which encompassed elements like physical activity and community group affiliations, cultural participation emerged as the paramount influencer, as established by their findings.
Although cultural access and participation are vital, significant portion of the elderly population is unable to engage with the arts due to various barriers. Keaney and Oskala (2007) identified poor health, inadequate social networks, and limited transportation access as significant impediments to cultural access among individuals aged 55 and above. Additionally, Goulding (2018) pointed out the importance of the vicious circle that cultural participation perpetuates by both reflecting and creating inequality of opportunities in later life. Cultural engagement reveals the impact of class, gender, and ethnicity on engagement contexts and subsequent outcomes.
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PROJECT OUTPUTS
Assessment of the state of the art on the topic and reconnaissance of papers on the topic of the call: the identified literature will be synthesized to extract key findings, trends, and best practices related to digital adoption and its impact on the elderly population's social behaviors. The literature review will help identify areas where existing research falls short or where additional investigation is needed to contribute to a better understanding of the topic.
Maps of the cultural consumptions of the elderly and of the supply of technological products and services to favour participation in cultural activities of the population aged 65+: the project will allow for the identification of a selection of indicators, case studies, and best practices in the cultural field, characterized by the use of technology as an enabling or inhibiting factor in cultural consumption.
An online dashboard designed to enable intuitive and immediate navigation of datasets containing individual-level information on cultural and digital consumption among the elderly in Italy. Among the sources: administrative data and existing surveys on cultural consumptions of the elderlies, data collected through ad-hoc interviews and surveys.
Analysis of the general trends in cultural consumption of the elderlies and the role of technological facilities: the analysis aims to capture jointly the interrelation between demand and supply of cultural consumption and the mediation mechanisms of technology. Both a quantitative and qualitative approach will be applied, offering a well-rounded perspective on their digital engagement and its broader social implications.
Header: Photo by Timothy Muza on Unsplash
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