Ageing on the Margin: Intersection of Age and Gender in the Experience of Older Men in Homeless Shelters in Czechia
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Demographic and socio-economic changes in contemporary societies bring into light a growing global issue of homelessness in older age. The complexity of the situation is shaped by population shifts, inaccessibility of affordable housing, as well as by inequalities in the labour market and access to the healthcare system. Among older homeless people, the exclusion and inequalities regarding their socio-cultural living environment intertwine also with ageism and gender-related issues. They experience higher mortality and lower life expectancy, face violence and discrimination, and are more susceptible to mental and physical health issues. In post-socialist countries such as the Czech Republic, visible homelessness, especially in older age, is a relatively recent phenomenon. The proportion of homeless people in older age in Czechia is continuously growing, and the latest data suggest that more than half of the sheltered population are disproportionately men at the age of 50 and older. This paper presents the outcomes of a case study within a larger research project mapping “institutions of ageing men” in Czechia as centres and arenas related to the power structures of men and masculinities. The case study shows through the analysis of 23 interviews with clients and social workers of a homeless centre how is the intersection of age and gender reflected in men's experiences of homelessness with a focus on the performativity of power relations and care connected to masculinity and age. |
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