Environment & Identity in Later Life

Throughout life, our everyday interactions with material, social , and psychological environments influence our self identity: and `who we think we areĹź influences how we behave in particular places. In later life, people bring to this relationship a lifetimeĹźs experience that makes certain associations more or less important. This book explores the relationship between environment and identity for older people.Much has been written about the experiences of older people living in `specialĹź age-segregated settings. This book unusually involves the experience of men and women of different ages and cultures living in a range of different kinds of places, including `ordinaryĹź and `specialĹź housing - from a high-rise flat to a residential care home - in semi-rural, urban and metropolitan locations within the south midlands and south-east England.Through a detailed ethnographic study we hear older people talking in depth about their situations and experiences of space and place. This research enables us to appreciate how they manage their needs within the context of their whole lives. Many are able to achieve a `life of qualityĹź as they constantlyengage and re-engage with their environment. Understanding this process allows greater clarification of what it means to move towards the end of life.