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

Positive neighbourly relationships offer sociability and the opportunity to give and receive practical support. This mode of social interaction may be particularly important in later life, when people spend more time around the home and are increasingly likely to live alone. Building on a political economy perspective, this article uses the General Household Survey 2000 to explore three forms of neighbourly contact in later life: frequent conversations, doing favours and receiving favours. We find that socio-economic assets, such as home- and carownership, increase the likelihood both of having done a favour for a neighbour and of having received one. In later life, men are more likely than women to have frequent conversations with their neighbours; however there is an interaction between gender and household composition in the exchange of favours. Among women, living alone increases the likelihood of providing and receiving favours; whereas among men, living alone decreases engagement in these forms of neighbourly social interaction. This gender difference may contribute to the elevated risk of social isolation among lone older men.