This book compares the wellbeing of older Russian adults in the EU, USA, China, Japan, and Russia. Through providing a general overview of population ageing, social, economic and IT-literacy among older Russian adults, it fills the gap in quality of life research in developing and transition societies. The topic is revealed in the context of the modern elderly’s changing identity, their life plans, and intergenerational relations. The connection between ageism and sexism are identified and interpreted, thereby using comparative materials on different countries. The book discusses the issue of educating the elderly in a new direction―namely, the use of ICTs. It also presents the result of studies on pension reform discussions over social networks, which illuminate the social response to the political, social, and economic agenda. As such this book will be a valuable read to researchers specialized in aging, gender studies, quality of life studies, Russian studies, ICT adoption studies, and to those studying the social transformation of Russia, Eastern Europe, the BRICS countries, which face similar problems with aging.
About the Author
Irina A. Grigoryeva is a professor of sociology at the University of St. Petersburg and a senior researcher at ITMO University, St. Petersburg. After completing her second doctorate at the University of St. Petersburg in 2005, she received a special education in Gerontology in 2008. She has written 5 monographs and more than 140 scientific publications on social policy study and the comparative theory of social work, and later – on social gerontology and “the old people issue” in modern Russia, as well as on the identity of the elderly.
Olga V. Sergeeva is an associate professor of sociology at the University of St. Petersburg and senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Science’s Center for Sociological Research . After completing her second doctorate at the University of St. Petersburg in 2011, she has authored more than 40 scientific publications on ICT adoption, the communication process, media, and everyday life.
Alexandra V. Dmitrieva is a senior ethnographic field researcher at the ICF “Alliance for Public Health”, Qualitative Research Consultant at the World Health Organization, and co-founder of the Support, Research and Development Center. After completing her doctorate in Sociology at the University of St. Petersburg in 2012, she got a job as field work coordinator in Russia at the Eurasia Program’s Open Society Foundations. She has authored more than 20 scientific publications on different aspects of educational ICT and ICT adoption by the elderly.
Ludmila A.Vidiasova is a head of the Monitoring & Research Department at the eGovernance Center, ITMO University. After completing her doctorate in Sociology at the University of St. Petersburg in 2013, she has written more than 70 scientific publications on e-participation, ICT adoption and smart cities development, elderly communities on the Internet, and more.