Reseach project in venezuelan homeless

EF, University Preparation

Cambridge, UK

” Neighbouring in Later Life in Venezuela: The Influence of Socio-Economic Resources, Gender and Household Composition on Neighbourly Relationships¨

Memeber:

Daniela Valladares

Teacher

Helen Fowler

Cambridge, 4 of March, 2010

Introduction

Having good relations with the people who live next or near to you is vital, becauseyour home is your safe, comfort zone. As Harris (2009) mentioned, the importance of neighbourly comfortable support for older people has been recognized in the last years, many older people are living alone and more than 180,000 are saying they have gone for a whole week without speaking to friends, family or neighbours. It is a well known fact that positive relationships offer an opportunity forsociability and gives opportunity to provide and obtain different kind of sustain. According to Bulmer (1986, cited in Perren et al, 2000), a good neighbour might have some qualities which are, being respectful, friendly and be there when ever you needed.

This study will examine three forms of neighbourly contact in later life; frequent conversations, doing favours and receiving favours inVenezuela among 30 people living with others and in a Home care, in order to find out the complex relationship between resources, gender and household composition in later life by using survey as a research method.

Related Research

This piece of research is related to a research done by Perren, Arber and Davidson. They focus on neighbourly relationships among economically inactive older people(aged 60 and above). In their research they examined older people´s structure and material advantages and disadvantages, and how it influence in neighbouring. Midwinter and Phillipson, (1993, cited in Perren et al, 2000) state that “A high disposable income, access to a private transport and good health encourages an away-from-home lifestyle in the form of visits to relatives, active leisure andholidays. (2000 : 947)

In their research they look at three aspects according to neighbourly relationships; which were, frequent conversations, and doing and receiving favours. They guided their framework, analyzing two different hypothesis; those people who have access to a car and good health might provide favour, and those who don´t have this qualities might be able to receivefavours.

The data used in their article to records their research aims, was questionnaire. They choose individuals which were selected randomly, within household and living alone. The question involve; how often old people speak to their neighbour, and if they have done or receive a favor during the past six months. Also they take into account different variables that can modify the real informationsuch as household car, health status, age, gender and household composition. As Bennet and Morgan (1993, cited in Perren et al, 2000), said, the different types of favor needed might differ by gender and household composition.

According to their findings which were presented in a table which result were express in percentages. The most relevant findings were those who were in the age of 60 to69, 86% and 85 % of men and women respectively who lives with other have access to a car, while those who live alone were 59% and 40% respectively. According to the second task of the survey, they also find out, that about three quarters of people aged 60 and above spoke to their neighbours at least three times a week, while a 76% have done a favour and 75% have receive a favor.

Thissurvey made me feel interesting in find out the present situation in the Venezuela this work done by Perren, Arber and Davidson will help me to develop and he examine in an objective point of view, the influence of socio-economic resources and household composition on Neighbourly relationship in Venezuela.

Method

The sample was selected systematically to thirty people aged 60 and above. My...