Social Isolation in Modern Society

Social contacts are of utmost importance for the personal and communal well-being of people. Social contacts constitute an elementary human need, are a considerable source of support and prove necessary for the integration and mutual commitment of people in society. Dues to processes of individualization and social fragmentation in modern western societies, social contacts have come under increasing pressure. Individuals are finding it increasingly hard to develop and maintain a meaningful personal network, and more and more people can be characterized as socially isolated, experiencing feelings of loneliness or not participating in society. Although social isolation has serious repercussions on people and communities, knowledge about this phenomenon remains rather limited.Social Isolation in Modern Societyis the first multidisciplinary study to look at this issue. The book integrates relevant research traditions in the social sciences; bringing together sociological theories of social networksand psychological theories of feelings of loneliness. Both traditions are embedded in research, with the results of a large-scale international study being used to describe the extent, nature and divergent manifestations of social isolation. A new typology of social contacts is developed in order to take into account the number of network members and the quality of social contacts measured in terms of feelings of loneliness. The book provides a clear insight into personal, social and socio-economic causes and the consequences of social isolation and contains concrete policy recommendations.

Anja Machielse is a lecturer in philosophy in the Interdisciplinary Social Science Department at Utrecht University.

List of figures

xii

List of tables

xiii

Preface

xvii

PART I Social isolation

1

(60)

1 The issue of social isolation

3

(10)

ROELOF HORTULANUS AND ANJA MACHIELSE

1.1 Social isolation: manifestations?

3

(1)

1.2 Social isolation: a phenomenon of our times?

4

(1)

1.3 Social isolation: how does it happen?

5

(1)

1.4 Social isolation: private matter or societal problem?

6

(1)

1.5 Social isolation: a theme for social policy?

7

(1)

1.6 Research aim

8

(1)

1.7 Method

9

(2)

1.8 Structure of the book

11

(2)

2 Theories on social contacts and social isolation

13

(24)

ANJA MACHIELSE

2.1 Introduction

13

(1)

2.2 The importance of social relationships

14

(8)

2.3 Changes in the social environment

22

(2)

2.4 Social isolation as an issue for social sciences

24

(5)

2.5 Theoretical approaches to social isolation

29

(5)

2.6 Summary and conclusions

34

(3)

3 A typology of social contacts

37

(24)

LUDWIEN MEEUWESEN

3.1 Introduction

37

(1)

3.2 Definition of social isolation

37

(2)

3.3 Towards a typology of social contacts

39

(2)

3.4 Measures

41

(3)

3.5 Network size

44

(1)

3.6 Loneliness

45

(1)

3.7 Social contacts typology

45

(2)

3.8 Network support functions and typology

47

(2)

3.9 Giving and receiving support

49

(1)

3.10 Changes in network size

50

(3)

3.11 Sources of protection

53

(2)

3.12 Risk factors

55

(2)

3.13 Discussion

57

(4)

PART II Personal and social factors

61

(116)

4 Life events and social isolation

63

(18)

LUDWIEN MEEUWESEN

4.1 Introduction

63

(1)

4.2 Definitions of life events

63

(2)

4.3 Life events and the social contacts typology

65

(6)

4.4 Hassles and uplifts

71

(1)

4.5 Important events and social support

72

(2)

4.6 The effects of important life events

74

(1)

4.7 Consolation and protection

75

(1)

4.8 Risk factors

76

(2)

4.9 Discussion

78

(3)

5 Personal competences and social isolation

81

(19)

LUDWIEN MEEUWESEN

5.1 Introduction

81

(1)

5.2 Personality, socialization and personal competences

82

(5)

5.3 Measures

87

(1)

5.4 Personal competences and social isolation

88

(1)

5.5 Personal competences at the item level

89

(2)

5.6 Socialization and contact typology

91

(1)

5.7 Personal competences and life events

92

(1)

5.8 Social responsibility

93

(4)

5.9 Risk factors and personal competences

97

(1)

5.10 Discussion

98

(2)

6 Health and social isolation

100

(15)

LUDWIEN MEEUWESEN

6.1 Introduction

100

(1)

6.2 Explanatory models for health

101

(1)

6.3 Coping and health

102

(1)

6.4 Social support and health

103

(1)

6.5 Operationalization of health indicators

104

(2)

6.6 Report mark on health

106

(1)

6.7 Physical vulnerability

107

(1)

6.8 Mental vulnerability

108

(1)

6.9 Depression

109

(3)

6.10 Inter-relatedness

112

(2)

6.11 Conclusions

114

(1)

7 Social isolation: formal and informal support

115

(22)

ANJA MACHIELSE

7.1 Introduction

115

(1)

7.2 Relevant concepts and definitions

115

(4)

7.3 Use of facilities and informal support

119

(3)

7.4 Use of facilities and vulnerability

122

(3)

7.5 Vulnerability and the personal network

125

(3)

7.6 Use of facilities by the vulnerable in relation to the social contacts typology

128

(4)

7.7 Views on the dependency on facilities

132

(2)

7.8 Summary and conclusions

134

(3)

8 Societal participation and social isolation

137

(19)

ROELOF HORTULANUS

8.1 Introduction

137

(1)

8.2 A measure for societal participation

138

(8)

8.3 Societal participation: a breeding ground for significant personal networks?

146

(5)

8.4 Societal participation and significant personal networks: not the same meaning for everyone

151

(3)

8.5 Conclusions

154

(2)

9 Social environment and social isolation

156

(21)

ROELOF HORTULANUS

9.1 Introduction

156

(2)

9.2 Functions of the social environment

158

(2)

9.3 The many faces of environmental isolation

160

(10)

9.4 Environmental and social isolation

170

(4)

9.5 Conclusions

174

(3)

PART III Comparisons and differentiation

177

(54)

10 Social isolation in city and countryside

179

(22)

ANJA MACHIELSE

10.1 Introduction

179

(1)

10.2 Relevant concepts and definitions

179

(3)

10.3 Population composition in urban and rural areas

182

(2)

10.4 Personal networks

184

(3)

10.5 Societal participation

187

(5)

10.6 The social environment

192

(6)

10.7 Summary and conclusions

198

(3)

11 Social isolation: a combined analysis

201

(16)

LUDWIEN MEEUWESEN

11.1 Introduction

201

(1)

11.2 The typology of social contacts

201

(2)

11.3 Summary of the research results

203

(6)

11.4 Effects of individual, social-environmental, societal and background factors on the social contacts typology

209

(5)

11.5 Consequences of social isolation

214

(3)

12 The social contact typology: a further subgroup profiling

217

(14)

ROELOF HORTULANUS

12.1 Personal competences and societal participation as causes of social isolation

217

(8)

12.2 Societal and individual well-being as products of social isolation

225

(4)

12.3 Conclusions

229

(2)

PART IV Reflections

231

(27)

13 Research on social isolation into perspective

233

(13)

LUDWIEN MEEUWESEN, ANJA MACHIELSE AND ROELOF HORTULANUS

13.1 Introduction

233

(1)

13.2 Reflection on method

233

(4)

13.3 Theoretical reflection

237

(9)

14 Towards a new policy vision on social isolation

246

(12)

ROELOF HORTULANUS

14.1 Introduction

246

(1)

14.2 Social isolation: private problem or societal issue?

247

(2)

14.3 A new policy vision

249

(4)

14.4 New intervention strategies

253

(3)

14.5 Conclusions

256

(2)

Appendices

258

(8)

References

266

(12)

Author index

278

(3)

Subject index

281

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Social Isolation in Modern Society

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials