Abstract
This chapter is based on research with a leisure group—The Wednesday Tea (WT) (operating in Portugal since 2010)—for 43 older women with an average age of 80, who had previously experienced loneliness and social exclusion. Research into the benefits of leisure activity by elderly women is rare, the more so as a response to, and prevention of, situations of violence or abuse. The findings are discussed from the Serious Leisure Perspective (Stebbins 1992); leisure is “serious” when it has goals, implies a systematic performance of a significant and interesting activity for the practitioner, which evolves and progresses according to resources, skills, know-how and experience, taking out of this act a relevant sense of fulfillment and contribute to the reflection regarding the benefits of leisure in promoting safety to older women.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Altergott, K., & McCreedy, C. C. (2013). Gender and family status across the life course: Constraints on five types of leisure. Society and Leisure, 16(1), 151–180.
APAV—Associação Portuguesa de Apoio à Vitima. (2016). Estatísticas APAV - Relatório Anual 2016. https://apav.pt/apav_v3/images/pdf/Estatisticas_APAV_Relatorio_Anual_2016.pdf.
Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. M. (1990). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In P. B. Baltes & M. M. Baltes (Eds.), Successful aging: Perspectives from behavioral sciences (pp. 1–34). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Baltes, P. B., & Smith, J. (1995). Psicologia da sabedoria: Origem e desenvolvimento. In A. L. Neri (Ed.), Psicologia do envelhecimento (pp. 41–72). Campinas, SP: Papirus.
Bonder, B. R., & Dal Bello-Haas, V. (2008). Functional performance in older adults. Philadelphia: FA Davis Company.
Bows, H. (2018). Sexual violence against older people: A review of the empirical literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 19(5), 567–583.
British Columbia Ministry of Health. (2004). Social isolation among seniors: An emerging issue. Retrieved from: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2004/Social_Isolation_Among_Seniors.pdf.
Caldwell, L. L. (2005). Leisure and health: Why is leisure therapeutic? British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 33(1), 7–26.
Caltabiano, M. L. (1995). Main and stress-moderating health benefits of leisure. Société et Loisir/Society and Leisure, 18, 33–52.
Coleman, J. (1988). Social connectedness in the creation of human connectedness. American Journal of Sociology, 94(Supplement), S95–S120.
Coleman, D. (1993). Leisure based social support, leisure dispositions and health. Journal of Leisure Research, 25, 350–361.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1998). Aprender a fluir. Editorial Kairós. ISBN 8472454126, 9788472454125.
Dahlberg, L. L., & Krug, E. G. (2006). Violência: um problema global de saúde pública. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 11, 1163–1178.
De Donder, L., Luoma, M. L., Penhale, B., Lang, G., Santos, A. J., Tamutiene, I., et al. (2010). European map of prevalence rates of elder abuse and its impact for future research. European Journal of Ageing, 8(2), 129–143.
Ferreira-Alves, J. (2005). Abuso e negligência de pessoas idosas: contributos para a sistematização de uma visão forense de maus-tratos. In R. Abrunhosa Gonçalves & C. Machado (Eds.), Psicologia Forense. Coimbra: Quarteto Editora. http://hdl.handle.net/1822/4221.
Ferreira-Alves, J., & Santos, A. J. (2011). Prevalence study of violence and abuse against older women: Results of the Portugal survey (AVOW Project). Braga, Portugal: Minho University. http://www.inpea.net/images/AVOW-Portugal-Survey_2010.pdf.
Findlay, R. A. (2003). Interventions to reduce social isolation amongst older people: Where is the evidence? Ageing & Society, 23(5), 647–658.
Freire, T. (2018). Leisure and positive psychology: Contributions to optimal human functioning. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(1), 4–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2017.1374445.
Freire, T., & Caldwell, L. L. (2013). Afterthoughts on leisure and future research directions. In T. Freire (Ed.), Positive leisure science. Dordrecht: Springer.
Freixas, A., Luque, B., & Reina, A. (2012). Critical feminist gerontology: In the back room of research. Journal of Women & Aging, 24, 44–58.
Gáspari, J. C., & Schwartz, G. M. (2005). O idoso e a ressignificação emocional do lazer. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 21(1), 069–076. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-37722005000100010.
Gergen, K. J., & Gergen, M. M. (2000). The new aging: Self-construction and social values. In K. W. Ed. Schaid (Ed.), Social structures and aging. New York: Springer.
Gergen, K. J., & Gergen, M. (Eds.). (2003). Social construction: A reader. Sage.
Gergen, K. J., & Warhus, L. (2003). La terapia como construcción social: Dimensiones, deliberaciones y divergencias. Revista Venezolana de Psicología Clínica Comunitaria, 12(2), 11–32.
Gergen, M. M., & Gergen, K. J. (2006). Positive aging: Reconstructing the life course. In J. Worell & C. D. Goodheart (Eds.), Handbook of girls’s and womens’s psychological health: Gender and well-being across the life span (pp. 416–424). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Gil, A. P., & Fernandes, A. A. (2011). “No trilho da negligência…” configurações exploratórias de violência contra pessoas idosas. http://sociologico.revues.org/471.
Gil, A. P., Santos, A. J., & Kislaya, I. (2014). Envelhecimento e Violência - Relatório científico. Lisboa: Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, IP. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/2584.
Grant, C., & Laidler, A. (1990). Recreation, leisure and social policy (Occasional Paper No. 4). New Zealand.
Iso-Ahola, S. E., & Park, C. J. (1996). Leisure-related social support and self-determination as buffers of stress-illness relationship. Journal of Leisure Research, 28, 169–187.
Kleiber, D. A., & Genoe, M. R. (2012). The relevance of leisure in theories of aging. In H. Gibson & J. Singleton (Eds.), Leisure and aging: Theory and practice (pp. 41–66). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Kowal, P., & Edward, D. J. (2001). Definition of an older person: Proposed working definition of an older person in Africa for the MDS Project. Geneva: World Health Organisation. https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.5188.9286.
Krug, E. G., Mercy, J. A., Dahlberg, L. L., & Zwi, A. B. (2002). The world report on violence and health. The Lancet, 360(9339), 1083–1088.
Luoma, M. L., Koivusilta, M., Lang, G., Enzenhofer, E., De Donder, L., Verté, D., Reingarde, J., Tamutiene, I., Ferreira-Alves, J., Santos, A. J., & Penhale, B. (2011). Prevalence study of abuse and violence against older women: Results of a multi-cultural survey in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, and Portugal (European Report of the AVOW Project). Finland: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Marcelino, N. C. (2004). Lazer e educação (11th ed.). Campinas: Papirus.
McDonald, L., & Thomas, C. (2013). Elder abuse through a life course lens. International Geriatrics, 25(8), 1235–1245. https://doi.org/10.1017/s104161021300015x.
Moura, A. G., & Souza, L. (2012). Autoimagem, socialização, tempo livre e lazer: quatro desafios à velhice. Textos & Contextos (Porto Alegre), 11(1), 172–183.
Mysyuk, Y., Westendorp, R. G. J., & Lindenberg, J. (2013). Framing abuse: Explaining the incidence, perpetuation, and intervention in elder abuse. International Psychogeriatrics, 25(8), 1267–1274.
National Research Council NRC. (2003). Elder mistreatment: Abuse, neglect and exploitation in an ageing America. Washington DC: The National Academies Press.
O’Conner, K., & Rowe, J. (2005). Elder abuse. Seminar, 364(2), 1263–1272.
Pantell, M., Rehkopf, D., Jutte, D., Syme, S. L., Balmes, J., & Adler, N. (2013). Social isolation: A predictor of mortality comparable to traditional clinical risk factors. American Journal of Public Health, 103(11), 2056–2062.
Paúl, C. (2012). Tendências atuais e desenvolvimentos futuros da gerontologia. In C. Paúl & O. Ribeiro (Eds.), Manual de gerontologia (pp. 1–15). Lisboa: Lidel – edições técnicas, lda.
Perista, H. (2010). Mulheres, homens e usos do tempo: quinze anos após a Plataforma de Acção de Pequim, onde estamos, em Portugal? Revista de Estudos Demográficos - 1.º Semestre de 2010 INE, 47–63.
Pettigrew, S. (2007). Reducing the experience of loneliness among older consumers. Journal of Research for Consumers, 12, 1–4.
Pondé, M. P., & Cardoso, C. (2003). Lazer como fator de proteção da saúde mental. Revista de Ciências Médicas. Campinas, 12(2), 163–172.
Putman, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Roebuck, J. (1979). When does old age begin? The evolution of the English definition. Journal of Social History, 12(3), 416–428.
Rojek, C. (1997). Leisure theory: Retrospect and prospect. Loisir et Société/Society and Leisure, 20, 383–400.
Saltzman, L. E., Fanslow, J. L., McMahon, P. M., & Shelley, G. A. (2002). Intimate partner violence surveillance: Uniform definitions and recommended data elements, version 1.0. Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Santos, A. J., Nicolau, R., Fernandes, A. A., & Gil, A. P. (2013). Prevalência da violência contra as pessoas idosas: uma revisão crítica da literatura. Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas [Online], 72 | 2013, posto online no dia 22 Abril 2013, consultado Junho 2017. http://spp.revues.org/1192.
Son, J. S., Kerstetter, D. L., Yarnal, C., & Baker, B. L. (2007). Promoting older women’s health and well-being through social leisure environments: What we have learned from the Red Hat Society. Journal of women and Aging, 19(3–4), 89–104.
Stebbins, R. A. (1979). Amateurs: On the margin between work and leisure. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Stebbins, R. A. (1982). Serious Leisure a conceptual statement. Sociological Perspectives, 25(2), 251–272.
Stebbins, R. A. (1992). Amateurs, professionals, and serious leisure. Montreal, QU: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Stebbins, R. A. (2007). Serious leisure. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
Stebbins, R. A. (2012). The idea of leisure: First principles. New Brunswick, NL: Transaction.
Stebbins, R. A. (2013). Research and theory on positiveness in the social sciences: The central role of leisure. In T. Freire (Ed.), Positive leisure science. Dordrecht: Springer.
Toepoel, V. (2012). Ageing, leisure and social connectedness: How could leisure help reduce social isolation of older people? Social Indicators Research, 113(1), 335–372.
United Nations. (2003). Neglect, abuse and violence against older women. Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. New York. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE (2012). Working Group on Ageing, Imágenes de las personas mayores, Informe nº 12 de Políticas sobre el Envejecimiento de la CEPE. Retrieved from: http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=10575.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2003). Neglect, abuse and violence against older women. Retrieved from: http://undedspd.org/Ageing/Resources/PapersandPublications.aspxsa.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE. (2014). Working Group on Ageing, Abuso de las personas mayores. Informe nº 14 Resumen de Políticas. Available from: http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=10575.
Vaillant, G. E. (2003). Aging well. New York, NY: Little Brown.
Victor, C., Scambler, S., Bond, J., Bowling, A. (2000). Being alone in later life: Loneliness, social isolation and living alone. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 10(4), 407–417.
WHO. (2002a). Toronto declaration on the global prevention of elderly abuse (OMC2002). Available from: www.who.int/ageing/projects/elder_abuse.
WHO. (2002b). Active ageing. A policy framework, Geneva. Retrieved from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_NPH_02.8.pdf.
WHO. (2002c). World report on violence and health, Geneva. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/en/.
WHO. (2003). The world health report 2003: Shaping the future, Geneva. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/whr/2003/en/.
WHO. (2004). The Economic dimensions of interpersonal violence, Geneva. Retrieved from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241591609.pdf.
WHO. (2014). Global status report on violence prevention. Available from: http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/145086.
Windle, K., Francis, J., & Coober, C. (2011). Preventing loneliness and social isolation: Interventions and outcomes. Social Care Institute for Excellence, 39 (Research briefing), 1–15.
Acknowledgements
This text integrates a doctoral thesis funded by FCT—the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology with the reference SFRH/BD/132490/2017. The authors of this text are deeply grateful to Hannah Bows for the wise indications throughout this process.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
d’Araújo, M.A., Fonseca, J.R.S. (2019). Serious Leisure as a Strategy to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation: A Preventive Response to Elderly Women Abuse. In: Bows, H. (eds) Violence Against Older Women, Volume II. Palgrave Studies in Victims and Victimology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16597-0_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16597-0_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16596-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-16597-0
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)