Centre for Policy on Ageing



Gossip in sheltered housing — its cultural importance and social implications
Author(s)	John Percival
Journal title	Ageing and Society, vol 20, part 3, May 2000
Pages	pp 303-326
Keywords	Older women ; Residents [care homes] ; Sheltered housing ; Stress ; Social interaction.
Annotation	A descriptive account and analysis of gossip as an important social interaction between older people in sheltered housing is presented. Analysis reveals that gossip plays a prominent role in the daily life of older people in the schemes studied, reinforcing social norms and values that assume great significance in a close-knit, predominantly female environment. While gossip may serve a useful social purpose in sheltered housing, it may also have important and paradoxical consequences for the individual. In particular, gossip is understood to be a form of interaction that encourages individuals to strike a balance between their personal and social needs in this communal setting. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-000717212 A
Classmark	BD: KX: KLA: QNH: TMA
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.