The main task of any group attempting to provide proper housing for the aged is that of making it more than simply "a place to stay." The Mennonite community, too, is faced with this task as it looks for an answer to the housing dilemma of its older members. This study undertakes to survey one kind of answer – that of Menno Home. This survey of a Mennonite Home located in Clearbrook, B.C., indicates that this type of housing tends to cut its residents off from the stream of life. The participation of these elderly people in community affairs becomes very limited. The study begins with a discussion of the aging process in general. It describes some types of housing projects which have been undertaken on behalf of the aged. In the second chapter the development of Menno Home is reviewed, and a description of the housing unit is undertaken. In the following chapter the services that are offered are traced against the background of a strong and devoted church-oriented administration. A comparison is drawn with other homes for the aged. This is done through the use of several studies undertaken by Master of Social Work students in previous years. In the final chapter the needs of the residents of Menno Home are considered. This is followed by a discussion of what social workers would be able to do to make a beneficial contribution to Menno Home. Menno Home is found to be quite similar to other institutions dedicated to the same purposes. The variations that are evident consist in different policies of admission, different types of administration and some differences in the physical plant itself. However, the distinguishing feature of Menno Home lies in its strong kinship to the Mennonite church, and in the fact that it serves almost exclusively a rural, Mennonite, German or Low German speaking group. Menno Home would lend itself well to the influence of a capable social worker, as that worker cooperates with the Christian ministers now engaged in serving the residents of Menno Home. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

A critical concern for society at the present time is the detrimental effects of human activity on the ecosystems. However, while there is raised awareness about issues such as global warming and the thinning ozone layer, humans still plan and develop the urban landscape from the perspective of the Cartesian worldview. This is also apparent in planning for the aging population. Although there is a large body of literature on population aging and sustainable urban development as well as a significant amount of material on aging and urban planning, the three issues of sustainability, urban planning and population aging are seldom addressed simultaneously. This thesis addresses the question of how sustainability planning principles can be integrated with planning for population aging. To this end, I investigate the underlying paradigms of both planning and the sociology of aging to gain an understanding of the values that underscore the policy directions in both these fields. I also review the literature on population aging, as well as housing and health service planning to highlight some needs, preferences and beliefs of the older population. Finally, I survey the literature on sustainable urban planning to elucidate some points of intersection between the needs and preferences of an aging population and the dominant principles underwriting a more sustainable lifestyle. The most significant themes arising from this investigation are the need for social and physical restructuring through changing paradigms. It is clear that older people are treated as a special group and have been segregated either covertly or overtly from mainstream society. Therefore, a change in values is required normalizing the older population within the societal structure. At the same time, traditional urban planning supports increasing consumption of material and energy resources leading to greater environmental degradation. Physical urban restructuring that reduces fossil fuel consumption and waste production will move society towards sustainability. Social ecology and ecological planning principles underwrite such social and ecological restructuring. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to generate an understanding of the process of program planning in a senior centre. Of particular interest was the extent to which technical, contextual, and social-political dimensions of planning were represented in the planning practice of programmers. Indepth interviews were conducted with four programmers who were responsible for planning programs at one Lower Mainland, British Columbia senior centre from April 1996 to April 1997. Observations of programming meetings and documents pertaining to program planning supplemented interview data. This exploration revealed that all three dimensions of planning were evident in the programmers' practice. When planning programs, the programmers completed four technical stages: generating ideas, selecting ideas, developing programs, and organizing details. Daily planning activities revolved around these stages and their related tasks. The way in which programs were developed at this centre was also a highly contextualized process. The programmers were influenced by a variety of contextual factors internal and external to the centre which shaped the structure, process, timing, and organization of planning as well as the selection and development of programs. When examining planning as a social-political process of negotiation, it was evident that planning practice was characterized by power relationships, interests, and negotiation. While negotiating interests was one form of action in which the planners engaged, it was not the dominant form of planning activity. Planning practice at this centre was best depicted as a highly contextualized technical process which entailed information gathering, criteria-based decision making, negotiating interests, and recording program details. The way in which planning occurred at this centre implies that technical, contextual, and social-political dimensions are interrelated and that the interplay between the technical and social-political dimensions is influenced by contextual factors. While much of the planning literature has focused on a single dimension, this exploration of practice suggests that an integrated way of thinking about planning is needed which acknowledges varying degrees to which technical, contextual, and social-political dimensions may be emphasized depending on the planning environment. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

This dissertation reevaluates the controversial Disengagement Theory of aging introduced by Elaine Cumming and William E. Henry in their book, Growing Old (1961), with particular emphasis on aging in the city. Disengagement theory embodies the antithesis to the traditional activity theory of aging based on a work ethic. Disengagement theory holds that normal aging is an inevitable mutual withdrawal or disengagement between the aging person and others in the social system, that it is universal, and that, by impl ication,it is a mutually satisfying condition since it results in a new equilibrium between society and the aging individual. The theory proposes that withdrawal happens automatically in the aging person because of ego changes which are "programmed" into the human organism. Activity theory, on the contrary, claims that maintaining physical, mental, or social activity is a prerequisite to successful aging. It implies that a meaningful social role is necessary to selfesteem, and that, allowing for biological impairments, the psychological needs of older people are not much different from those of middle-aged persons. Since the United States population aged 65 and over has a net annual increase of over 300,000 people, the questions as to whether they tend to be engaged or disengaged, and whether they should be integrated in or separated from the rest of society, become very important. According to the 1970 Census, over sixty percent of persons sixty-five and over live in metropolitan areas. Therefore their housing, transportation, medical care, and other needs have to be considered in urban policies. In planning services for older people it is imperative to know what kind of services are needed, and hence engagement or disengagement becomes a crucial question. It is the assumption in this research that the city and its older population have an investment in one another, and that the city is interested in the welfare of its older citizens. Theoretically, the study was guided by the principles of symbolic interactionism. Several methods were used in the approach to the research problem because it is believed that what is known as a "triangulated" perspective can come closest to revealing the various aspects of empirical reality. Specifically, the methods employed were the social survey, the depth interview, participant observation, unobtrusive observation, and the case study and life history technique. This research has used especially Weber's method of Verstehen or empathic unders tandi rig. Three hypotheses guided the research: Hypothesis One: Disengagement is not an intrinsic or inevitable phenomenon. If it occurs, it can be traced to various causes other than aging per se, such as ill health, personal misfortunes (such as widowhood), or social pressures (such as forced retirement). Hypthesis Two: Older people do not enjoy a disengaged state. There is continuity in personality and life style, and if older people choose nonengagement, it is a continuation of former habits. Hypothesis Three: A livable urban environment is a determinant in the life satisfaction of the aged. These hypotheses were tested empirically, using both qualitative and quantitative data; and our hypotheses have been confirmed by prevalence and recurrence of expected patterns in the behavior of our samples. The use of the inductive method has given consistent results in that no instances of intrinsic disengagement were discovered. We have been able to show that other causal factors were responsible for relative nonengagement if it occurred. The dissertation also reports many suggestions which were received on how the urban environment could be improved and how the city could help older people lead better lives.

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