A life course perspective on the GENdered PATHways of social exclusion in later life, and its consequences for health and wellbeing

GENPATH - A life course perspective on the GENdered PATHways of exclusion from social relations in later life, and its consequences for health and well-being. GENPATH is a European research project that focuses on social exclusion in older people. Social exclusion is a multidimensional phenomenon with clear negative consequences for individuals and society. The main focus in GENPATH is exclusion linked to social relationships. This type of exclusion is widespread and can have major impacts on health and well-being. Apart from Norway, the Czech Republic (coordinator), Austria, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Ireland and Spain participated in the project.We have worked with all four work packages (WP). The purpose of WP1 was to study how social exclusion from social relations (ESR) in older years develops among men and women; WP2 dealt with gender and country differences in outcomes of exclusion from social relations; WP3 on the gendered nature of the lived experiences of exclusion from social relations; and WP4 was about an integrative perspective on the gendered nature of exclusion from social relations and dissemination of the research results. Eight quantitative articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals of which two at level 2 and five at level 1 in the Norwegian register for scientific journals, series and publishers and five popular science publications. Three qualitative articles and a book chapter are in progress. With regard to dissemination, since the start of the study there were 89 occasions where topics related to social exclusion (often loneliness) were discussed in the media, and >15 national and 12 international dissemination activities. GenPath also increased the interest of a master's student at OlsoMet, who wrote her master's thesis on the qualitative interviews for GENPATH in the first part of 2021. Two other master's students at Oslomet will write their master's theses during 2023. The first article published in peer-reviewed journals presents a heuristic model of the gender construction of ESR and its results. The second scientific article presents the results of a longitudinal study on the psycho-social effects and predictors thereof of the COVID pandemic among older Norwegians in early and later stages of the pandemic. The third academic paper describes and discusses European variations in the prevalence of loneliness and finds that trust in the system and trust in other people are important triggering factors in the construction of social engagement, which in turn leads to changing levels of loneliness. The fourth article describes the results of a gender-stratified analysis of satisfaction with networking and being alone as modifiers of the quality of life of older people who are challenged by exclusion from social relationships. The fifth article (is about gendered associations between the social network and mental well-being later in life. The sixth article used a life-course perspective to explore the effect of childhood relationships on the risk of exclusion from social relationships in later life. The seventh article is about the nature and predictors of aging effects on subjective well-being The last examines age differences in psychological well-being in older Romanians and assesses the extent to which differences can be explained by age and social exclusion. The five popular scientific papers are about social participation in the second half of life; quality of life and loneliness in older years; exclusion from social relationships; depression and loneliness; and active aging and loneliness. The three qualitative articles (in progress) are based on the 180 qualitative interviews (30 in each participating country), and examine the impact of life course conflicts in social relationships; the effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of social relationships for older men and women; and how life course transitions are associated with exclusion from social relationships in the lives of older men and women. Furthermore, the project has developed a model lecture for secondary school curricula on old age and exclusion from social relational risks to support the potential for early intervention for better outcomes later in life. Finally, we gave two presentations at the first national Loneliness Conference in Litteraturhuset in Oslo (24-25 October 2022), with discussions and contributions from professionals, politicians, researchers and older men and women with an interest in the topic.

Eight quantitative articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals of which two at level 2 and five at level 1 in the Norwegian register for scientific journals, series and publishers and five popular science publications. Three qualitative articles and a book chapter are still in progress. Since the start of the study there were 89 occasions where topics related to social exclusion (often loneliness) were discussed in the media, and we produced >15 national and 12 international dissemination activities at scientific and popular scientific conferences. GenPath also increased the interest of a master's student at OlsoMet, who wrote her master's thesis on the qualitative interviews for GENPATH in the first part of 2021. We further translate the model lecture for secondary school curricula on old age and exclusion from social relational risks that was developed by the Czech-partner into Norwegian. Educating young people about causes and consequences of social exclusion might work as an early intervention for better outcomes later in life. The lecture is freely available on the Norwegian and international GENPATH websites. One spin-off of GENPATH is the funding of another project on social exclusion AMASE - A multidimensional approach to social exclusion in later life – health consequences for ageing populations (funder EEA-Norway grants). In AMASE members of the Norwegian team of GENPATH collaborate with the researchers from the University of Bucharest. A research proposal for a PhD project on the “Sosial isolasjon og ensomhet - aktiviteters helsefremmende rolle i senere liv” was submitted to Dam Stiftelsen in 2023. Furthermore, four of the seven partners in GENPATH are now involved in a Horizon Europe proposal in integrated care and social exclusion. The writing of the book chapter on social isolation and loneliness brought the project group into closer contact with a Canadian professor who is now co-authoring the book chapter. The policy brief with main findings of the research papers will be summarized and suggestions will be made for policy and practice. The policy brief will be published on the OsloMet website, and send to policy makers and stakeholders in Norway and to Age Platform Europe. Three qualitative studies are still in the pipeline. Topics are 1) conflicts, 2) transitions and 3) the role of COVID on the dynamics of exclusion from social relations in later life. These will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals in 2023.

Social exclusion is a multifaceted social problem with substantial disruptive consequences for individuals and society. One aspect of social exclusion is the exclusion from social relations, which is the key focus of this proposal. Being socially connected is a universal basic human need, but a substantial number of people lack the essential social resources necessary for a healthy and happy life. GENPATH focusses on post-retirement age; a life phase where social inclusion becomes a crucial factor for health and wellbeing. Men and in particular women have an increased risk to be socially excluded after retirement. Women are more often frail, more often widowed, have lower levels of education, have more often disrupted working careers, lower pensions, and less economic resources. The large variation in social exclusion and the varying impact of gender across welfare states indicates a key role of the macro-social context. However, little is known about how precise the welfare state context influences the construction and outcomes of social exclusion. The proposed project aims at analysing the origin of gender differences in the prevalence and generation of exclusion from social relations across European countries, and consequences of this exclusion for health and wellbeing. Findings will inform the scientific debate about gender differences in and social exclusion and instruct policies towards a reduction in social exclusion among older men and women. GENPATH fits the SDG 5: Gender equality and SDG 3: Good health and wellbeing, in particular, the topics 1.2 and 1.3.