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Active Aging: Social Entrepreneuring in Local Communities of Five European Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Marco Socci

    (Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Aging, IRCCS INRCA—National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, Via Santa Margherita 5, 60124 Ancona, Italy)

  • David Clarke

    (University Centre Shrewsbury, University of Chester, Shrewsbury SY38HQ Shropshire, England)

  • Andrea Principi

    (Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Aging, IRCCS INRCA—National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, Via Santa Margherita 5, 60124 Ancona, Italy)

Abstract

Building on the active aging framework, the aim of this study, carried out between 2016 and 2018, is to analyze concrete experiences of older individuals acting as key players of social change in six local communities of five European countries (Bulgaria, Denmark, England, France, Spain). The 19 seniors involved in the study, according to social contexts, individual past experiences, knowledge, and motivations, acted as senior social entrepreneurs, trying to build a pathway towards social solutions for unmet social problems they detected in local communities. Data were collected via templates and questionnaires and analyzed using the thematic analysis. The results highlighted that the 16 local initiatives created by seniors concerned social problems such as food waste, social isolation, multicultural integration, etc. The social solutions implemented by seniors seemed to have the potential to produce social value and, to different degrees, encouraging results and impact. Since this “social experiment” provided evidence that senior social entrepreneuring could be a driver to solve societal problems, policy makers should sustain the spread of both social entrepreneurial mindset and practices at the European level, for catalyzing the active potential of older people for the benefit of European local communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Socci & David Clarke & Andrea Principi, 2020. "Active Aging: Social Entrepreneuring in Local Communities of Five European Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:7:p:2440-:d:341121
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Davide Lucantoni & Andrea Principi & Marco Socci & Marina Zannella & Francesco Barbabella, 2022. "Active Ageing in Italy: An Evidence-Based Model to Provide Recommendations for Policy Making and Policy Implementation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-25, February.
    2. Francesco Barbabella & Eralba Cela & Claudia Di Matteo & Marco Socci & Giovanni Lamura & Pietro Checcucci & Andrea Principi, 2020. "New Multilevel Partnerships and Policy Perspectives on Active Ageing in Italy: A National Plan of Action," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Marcel Pikhart & Blanka Klimova, 2020. "Maintaining and Supporting Seniors’ Wellbeing through Foreign Language Learning: Psycholinguistics of Second Language Acquisition in Older Age," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-15, October.
    4. Cristina Gagliardi & Giovanni Lamura, 2021. "Special Issue on “Advances in Socio-Economic Research on Ageing”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-6, June.

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