Economic Participation among Older People

Economic participation studies often emphasize challenges of accessing and engaging in formal employment after retirement. However, they tend to overlook personal factors, traditional values, and culturally specific elements in rural settings that influence participation in informal work. This stud...

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Main Authors: Catherine Aquiline Manda, Narathius Asingwire, David Mafigiri, Randi Kroken, Joyce Nyoni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Stavanger 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Comparative Social Work
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uis.no/index.php/JCSW/article/view/733
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author Catherine Aquiline Manda
Narathius Asingwire
David Mafigiri
Randi Kroken
Joyce Nyoni
author_facet Catherine Aquiline Manda
Narathius Asingwire
David Mafigiri
Randi Kroken
Joyce Nyoni
author_sort Catherine Aquiline Manda
collection DOAJ
description Economic participation studies often emphasize challenges of accessing and engaging in formal employment after retirement. However, they tend to overlook personal factors, traditional values, and culturally specific elements in rural settings that influence participation in informal work. This study explored the factors that influence older people’s participation in handcraft activities in the Masasi District in Tanzania. It provides a deeper insight into their continued engagement, and highlights its implications for social work practice. This study explored the factors that influence the participation of older people in handcraft activities to provide a deeper insight into their continued engagement and its implications on social work practice. A phenomenology method was used, and in-depth interviews were employed to collect data from purposively sampled older people working in handcraft through the lens of decolonial theory. The analysis revealed that older people’s participation in handcraft activities was triggered by poor living conditions, the need for income to meet essential needs, a lack of formal and inadequate informal support, parenting and grand-parenting obligations, as well as the desire to maintain personal agency and avoid dependence syndrome. The findings suggest that the traditional role of extended family and community, as a pillar of care and protection of older people, should be enhanced to improve their working lives and well- being. Older people working in handcraft activities should be empowered in their socio- economic issues to improve their working and quality of life in rural communities. Collaboration between social workers and the community at the grassroots level is crucial, and social work knowledge and practice that reflect and promote indigenous knowledge and practices should be developed and adopted.
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spelling doaj-art-c93a3eb9597945da8bd461dc8acc8f662025-08-20T03:33:42ZengUniversity of StavangerJournal of Comparative Social Work0809-99362025-07-0120110.31265/jcsw.v20i1.733Economic Participation among Older PeopleCatherine Aquiline MandaNarathius AsingwireDavid MafigiriRandi KrokenJoyce Nyoni Economic participation studies often emphasize challenges of accessing and engaging in formal employment after retirement. However, they tend to overlook personal factors, traditional values, and culturally specific elements in rural settings that influence participation in informal work. This study explored the factors that influence older people’s participation in handcraft activities in the Masasi District in Tanzania. It provides a deeper insight into their continued engagement, and highlights its implications for social work practice. This study explored the factors that influence the participation of older people in handcraft activities to provide a deeper insight into their continued engagement and its implications on social work practice. A phenomenology method was used, and in-depth interviews were employed to collect data from purposively sampled older people working in handcraft through the lens of decolonial theory. The analysis revealed that older people’s participation in handcraft activities was triggered by poor living conditions, the need for income to meet essential needs, a lack of formal and inadequate informal support, parenting and grand-parenting obligations, as well as the desire to maintain personal agency and avoid dependence syndrome. The findings suggest that the traditional role of extended family and community, as a pillar of care and protection of older people, should be enhanced to improve their working lives and well- being. Older people working in handcraft activities should be empowered in their socio- economic issues to improve their working and quality of life in rural communities. Collaboration between social workers and the community at the grassroots level is crucial, and social work knowledge and practice that reflect and promote indigenous knowledge and practices should be developed and adopted. https://journals.uis.no/index.php/JCSW/article/view/733economic participationolder peoplehandcraftsocial workindigenous knowledge
spellingShingle Catherine Aquiline Manda
Narathius Asingwire
David Mafigiri
Randi Kroken
Joyce Nyoni
Economic Participation among Older People
Journal of Comparative Social Work
economic participation
older people
handcraft
social work
indigenous knowledge
title Economic Participation among Older People
title_full Economic Participation among Older People
title_fullStr Economic Participation among Older People
title_full_unstemmed Economic Participation among Older People
title_short Economic Participation among Older People
title_sort economic participation among older people
topic economic participation
older people
handcraft
social work
indigenous knowledge
url https://journals.uis.no/index.php/JCSW/article/view/733
work_keys_str_mv AT catherineaquilinemanda economicparticipationamongolderpeople
AT narathiusasingwire economicparticipationamongolderpeople
AT davidmafigiri economicparticipationamongolderpeople
AT randikroken economicparticipationamongolderpeople
AT joycenyoni economicparticipationamongolderpeople