Avaa tiedosto - TamPub - Tampereen yliopisto

More documents

Recommendations

Info

International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 2010 5(2): 103130. # The Authors Lonely older people as a problem in society construction in Finnish media By HANNA U OTILA 1,2 , KIRSI L UMME- SANDT 1 & MARJA SAARENHEIMO 3 Abstract Loneliness is a prevalent stereotype of old age but there is a lack of studies of how it is represented in mass media. This study examines how the loneliness of older people is portrayed in mass media. The research material consists of 154 texts from the leading 50 magazines and daily newspapers in Finland. In the texts, loneliness was rarely seen solely as a lack of companionship and many negative attributes were connected to it. Among other things, loneliness was connected to the low status of older people in society, inhumane practices in elderly care, lack of meaning in life and neglect by relatives. Loneliness was also viewed as an inevitable part of ageing. However, many suggestions were made to alleviate loneliness. The extent of these suggestions varied from broad and collective actions to simple and perfunctory solutions. Keywords: loneliness, older people, qualitative study, mass media. 1 Hanna Uotila and Kirsi Lumme-Sandt, Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland 2 Hanna Uotila, The Science Center of Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland 3 Marja Saarenheimo, The Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged, Helsinki, Finland 103
International Journal of Ageing and Later Life Introduction The concept of loneliness has been interpreted and defined in various ways. In most studies, loneliness is understood as a negative feeling or an unpleasant and distressing experience of a lack of social contacts (Peplau & Perlman 1982). Victor et al. (2005) emphasised a discrepancy between the actual and desired quality and quantity of social engagement. Two dimensions of loneliness have been postulated. Weiss (1973) distinguished between emotional and social loneliness. Emotional loneliness arises in situations where a reliable or intimate relationship is lacking, and social loneliness is caused by absence of social networks. Scientific texts often define social isolation and loneliness as distinct but interrelated concepts. Social isolation refers to an objective, measurable state of having minimal contact with other people while the experience of loneliness refers to a subjective state that is recognisable only by the person in question (Jylhä & Saarenheimo 2010; Victor et al. 2000, 2005). A person may suffer from loneliness even when surrounded by other people. Loneliness has different meanings for different people and in different contexts. It has been seen as a highly subjective experience. In everyday talk, loneliness has several related meanings that are partly overlapping. Loneliness can be addressed by using different words. By talking about the time spent alone one can refer to feelings of loneliness, but not always and not necessarily. Being or living alone can also indicate a specific type of the household arrangement (Victor et al. 2000). Living alone can also be constructed as a neutral aloneness or a positive solitude (Pierce et al. 2003). However, there are no separate concepts for negative and positive loneliness in Finnish. Traditionally, a particularly strong relationship has been postulated between loneliness and old age. In everyday talk and media, and also in academic studies, loneliness is frequently constructed as a common and intensive feeling in old age, and its prevalence has even been dramatised (Wenger & Burholt 2004). However, surveys have reported that the majority (two-thirds) of older people do not suffer from loneliness (Savikko et al. 2005; Steed et al. 2007; Victor et al. 2005). It seems that there is a discrepancy between the public understanding and academic surveys about the frequency of loneliness in old age. The discrepancy may arise from common conceptions of loneliness as a harmful, painful and 104
Page 1 and 2:
HANNA UOTILA Vanhuus ja yksinäisyy
Page 3 and 4:
AKATEEMINEN VÄITÖSKIRJA Tampereen
Page 5 and 6:
5 Tutkimuksen tulokset.............
Page 7 and 8:
6 Hanna UOTILA
Page 9 and 10:
8 sissa yksinäisyyden syiksi nimet
Page 11 and 12:
10 from Helsingin Sanomat and the E
Page 14 and 15:
13 1 Johdanto Yksinäisyyttä pidet
Page 16 and 17:
15 pohdin käyttämiäni aineistoja
Page 18 and 19:
17 tista näkökulmaa 1 ja käsitel
Page 20 and 21:
19 2.3 Yksinäisyyden käsite ja l
Page 22 and 23:
21 tamisen vuoksi) tai toisaalta my
Page 24 and 25:
23 goineen (de Jong Gierveld & Kamp
Page 26 and 27:
25 ka ilmoittavat tuntevansa yksin
Page 28 and 29:
27 kumppanuutta ja tukea tai joiden
Page 30 and 31:
29 sisältää yksinäisyyden piirt
Page 32 and 33:
31 erityisesti silloin, kun interve
Page 34 and 35:
33 Myös Heravi-Karimooi tutkimusry
Page 36 and 37:
35 tunne siitä, että on turvassa.
Page 38 and 39:
37 4 Tutkimuksen lähtökohdat ja t
Page 40 and 41:
39 kipäivän toimista ja sosiaalis
Page 42 and 43:
41 Tapasin haastateltavat pääsä
Page 44 and 45:
43 kokemuksia ja antaa asioille mer
Page 46 and 47:
45 keinoihin, joilla yksin oleminen
Page 48 and 49:
47 Sosiaalisen verkoston supistumin
Page 50 and 51:
49 ollut ulkona samalla tavalla seu
Page 52 and 53:
51 tiin yksinäisyydestä, esillä
Page 54 and 55:
53 päristön tai laajemmin yhteisk
Page 56 and 57:
55 man itsenäisyyden ja oman rauha
Page 58 and 59:
57 funktiona on aina jonkinasteinen
Page 60 and 61:
59 luovalle työlle ja sitä tarkas
Page 62 and 63:
61 Myös haastattelujen ja kirjoitu
Page 64 and 65:
63 erilaista aineistoa yhdessä ant
Page 66 and 67:
65 kittava aihe ei lopulta noussut
Page 68 and 69:
67 Hänen tutkimissaan teksteissä
Page 70 and 71:
69 Yksinäisen ihmisen omaan persoo
Page 72 and 73:
71 takyvyn heikentymistä tai tuen
Page 74 and 75:
73 7 Johtopäätökset Yksinäisyyd
Page 76 and 77:
75 Kiitokset Kiinnostukseni tutkimu
Page 78 and 79:
77 sikon ottein. Kiitos siitä! Kii
Page 80 and 81:
79 Brennan T (1982): Loneliness at
Page 82 and 83:
81 Harwood J & Roy A (1999): The po
Page 84 and 85:
83 Luanaigh CO & Lawor BA (2008): L
Page 86 and 87: 85 Pinquart M & Sörensen S (2001):
Page 88 and 89: 87 Savikko N, Routasalo P, Tilvis R
Page 90 and 91: 89 Victor C, Scambler S, Bowling A
Page 92 and 93: 91 Liite 1 Yksinäisyydelle annettu
Page 94 and 95: 93 Victor, Scambler, Marston, Bond
Page 96 and 97: 95 Liite 3 Kirjoitusohjeet (Kirjoit
Page 98: ALKUPERÄISET OSAJULKAISUT
Page 113 and 114: -" :;-$
Page 115 and 116: # $ # ! %&'
Page 117 and 118: 2 -"
Page 119 and 120: 7 " #7 2 #$6$ !@ 2
Page 121 and 122: 2> :$* $$* $ $ $ @> .$ * A
Page 123 and 124: 105 artikkelit ”Yksinäisyys ja v
Page 135: 117 artikkelit ”Yksinäisyys ja v
Page 139 and 140: International Journal of Ageing and
Page 163: International Journal of Ageing and
show all

Avaa tiedosto - TamPub - Tampereen yliopisto

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?