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BJSW Advance Access originally published online on July 31, 2007
British Journal of Social Work 2008 38(7):1353-1369; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm045
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Independence in Old Age: The Route to Social Exclusion?

Debbie Plath

Debbie Plath, BSW(hons), BA, MSW, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

Correspondence to Debbie Plath, BSW(hons), BA, MSW, Ph.D., School of Humanities and Social Science, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan 2308, NSW, Australia. E-mail: Debbie.Plath{at}newcastle.edu.au


  Abstract

The promotion of independence is a dominant theme in policy on old age and is also a principle used to guide social work practice with older people. This qualitative study of older people’s experiences of independence reveals that independence is a complex notion with a variety of meanings. In-depth interviews with older Australians elicited five main discourses on independence: doing things alone; making one’s own decisions; physical and mental capacity; having resources; social standing and self-esteem. Whilst the goal of independence was strongly upheld by the older people, negative experiences associated with independence were also revealed. Based on the experiences of these older people, the findings of this study offer insights for social workers prepared to move beyond individualistic interpretations of independence and promote socially inclusive independence.

Keywords: ageing, ageism, independence, social exclusion


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