[Remapping age(ing) : Additional value of an affect-based and inequality-sensitive determination of the relationship between space and age(ing)].

BACKGROUND

The study of housing and living spaces has always played a central role in sociogerontological research. For example, living environments are seen as essential influencing factors on the quality of life and personal well-being (or the lack of it) of older people. The study of the relationship between space and age(ing) is dominated by psychologically influenced environmental gerontological approaches and social area-oriented research. While environmental perspectives in gerontology focus in particular on perceptions, experiences and affects to identify the relationships between space and age(ing), social area-oriented research tends to focus on social inequalities and strategies of participation.

OBJECTIVE

The results of ecogerontological approaches to affects and social area-oriented research on social inequalities are combined by means of a praxiological approach. A relational understanding of space and age is developed, which is able to focus on affects and is also sensitive to spatial exclusions based on social inequalities and which also have an affective component. This combination enables new insights into a gerontological designation of the relationship between space and age(ing).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Such a remapping of age(ing) makes it possible to formulate other research questions regarding constructions of space through age or age through space and to provide impulses for gerontological research perspectives that take the complex interplay of humans, artefacts and spatial arrangements into account and explore the consequences for individual persons and also for their living spaces.