Reconceptualising Exclusion from Civic Engagement in Later Life: Towards a New Research Agenda

Social exclusion in later life remains a major challenge for ageing societies. Despite widespread acceptance of its multidimensional nature, research and policy debates have tended to focus on exclusion from material resources or social relations, overlooking other recognised dimensions of social exclusion. In this context, exclusion from civic engagement has been the least studied dimension. In this chapter, we argue that future research and policy initiatives should pay attention to four key dimensions of older people’s exclusion from civic engagement. First, we need to embrace the multidimensionality of the concept of civic engagement, which includes a range of qualitatively different activities. Second, it is essential to account for the diversity of the older population, since this shapes who is able to engage civically and in which ways. Third, attention should be paid to the dynamics and experiences of engagement across the life course, in order to understand better civic engagement trajectories. Fourth, we need to consider exclusion from civic engagement as a culturally-embedded process that is largely shaped by the particular socio-political context in which engagement occurs. We provide examples of recent research covering these dimensions of exclusion from civic engagement and conclude by proposing areas of further inquiry.