Ageing and Environment
Projects
National Institute for Research on the Socioeconomic Impact of Disease and Systemic Risk (SYRI)

The aim of the SYRI project (National Institute for Socio-Economic Research on the Impact of Diseases and Systemic Risks) within the EXCELES program is to react to current trends and needs in response to the emergence of major systemic health risks, such as the covid-19 pandemic, and associated social and economic impacts. Three institutions will collaborate on the SYRI project (Masaryk University, Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences). The aim of this interconnection of institutions is to enable the creation of new knowledge that is of an excellent scientific standard and that can be practically applied in a number of fields (e.g. the functioning of public administration) dealing with the issue at hand.
Project Period
1/2022 - 12/2026
Research Team MU
- Mgr. Lucie Vidovićová, Ph.D.
- Mgr. et Mgr. Marcela Petrová Kafková, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Ing. Tomáš Doseděl, Ph.D.
Cooperating Organizations
- Charles University
- Czech Academy of Sciences

The project develops the new field of climate gerontology and aims to describe older Czechs´ (65+) values, attitudes and behaviour relevant within the climate change and environmental crisis context. It also seeks to gain deeper understanding of motivations, attitudes and practices of “green” older people (those declaring explicitly pro-environmental values and being actively engaged in various forms of eco-activism and civic participation), and to explore and interpret perceived impacts of climate change to older people in urban and rural settings in significantly climatically changing areas including their coping strategies (if present) in relation to their residential biographies, place attachment and place outlook.
Project Period
1/2020 - 12/2022
Researchers
List of Publications
Total number of publications: 9
2023
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Making Sense of Life-long Memories and Experiences in the Time of Climate Upheavals Year: 2023, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
2022
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Environmental Experiences and Attudes of Older Czechs in the Time of Accelerating Climate Change Year: 2022, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
2021
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Ageing in the time of climate crisis : An example from the Czech Republic Year: 2021, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
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Hranice domova v období karantény Year: 2021, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
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Je dobrovolná skromnost dědičná? Year: 2021, type:
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„Máte rádi přírodu?“: Jak se ne/ptat na vztah k přírodě Year: 2021, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
2020
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Age-friendly bydlení: Nové poznatky a příklady dobré praxe, principy a úskalí. Year: 2020, type:
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Covid-19 a nové perspektivy v environmentální gerontologii a výzkumu stárnutí Year: 2020, type:
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Stárnutí ve městě: Jaké výzvy, překážky a výhody přináší život v městském prostředí ve vyšším věku? Year: 2020, type: Popularization text

The project looks into dialectic relationship between ageing/old age and the space/environment. It engages the mixed methods approach (secondary analysis, representative survey, and qualitative in-depth interviews) to describe the heterogeneity characteristics of older rural inhabitants in the Czech Republic and to provide the international comparison. Furthermore it identifies the major challenges and advantages that older people face in various types of rural environments by identifying sources of social/environmental exclusion and features of ageing well, respectively. It looks into well being and quality of life in later age employing and reviewing concepts such as active ageing and age friendliness with respect to the specific rural context. The comparison with previously published results on ageing in the cities will be provided. The results will be published in a comprehensive volume and several academic articles.
Project Period
1/2016 - 12/2018
Researchers
List of Publications
Total number of publications: 35
2021
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Activities to Address Quality of Life Between Urban and Rural Ageing People in the Czech Republic Handbook of Active Ageing and Quality of Life : From Concepts to Applications, year: 2021, number of pages: 19 s.
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Ageing and Caring in Rural Environments : cross-national insights from Central Europe Social Exclusion in Later Life : Interdisciplinary and Policy Perspectives, year: 2021, number of pages: 14 s.
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Introduction : Framing community and spatial exclusion Social Exclusion in Later Life : Interdisciplinary and Policy Perspectives, year: 2021, number of pages: 7 s.
2020
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Ageing in the changing countryside : The experience of rural Czechs Sociologia Ruralis, year: 2020, volume: 60, edition: 2, DOI
2019
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Možnosti a limity měření úspěšnosti konceptu "age-friendliness" Year: 2019, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
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Nostalgia, Solastalgia and Biographical Contextualisation : Perspectives on the (Post)Socialist Social Change Among Older Czechs Year: 2019, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
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Older adults' perception of gentrification in urban and rural environment Year: 2019, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
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Older adults’ well-being by the type of residential setting : The case of small municipalities in the Czech Republic Journal of Rural Studies, year: 2019, volume: 72, edition: December, DOI
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U lesa, nebo u lékárny? Year: 2019, type:
2018

The project builds on principles of environmental gerontology and it aims to uncover new insights into the relationships between ageing and space/environment. We explore the impact that changes in the lived environment and space have on the perceived well being of the elderly, on the (perception of) risk of their social exclusion, and on the concept of successful ageing in general. We use the concept of gentrification as a prism for critically thinking about the mutual overlapping of various age groupsand their habitus in certain locality. We use a multiple research design: case studies on revitalised localities which we describe as life spaces of/for seniors; focus groups conducted with residents of these localities aged 65+; further we conduct in-depth interviews with seniors-residents and finally we carry out a representative survey of Czech urban population aged 65+ by which we further explore more general issues of the lived environment/space and experiences of ageing.
List of Publications
Total number of publications: 46
2021
2018
2017
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How Age-Friendly Are Cities? Measuring Age-Frendliness with a Composite Index Emerging Trends in the Development and Application of Composite Indicators, year: 2017, number of pages: 21 s.
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Stárnutí a bydlení ve městě Year: 2017, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
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Stárnutí ve městě Year: 2017, type: Appeared in Conference without Proceedings
2016
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The Challenges of Ageing and Urbanisation in the Czech Republic for the QoL in Higher Age Year: 2016, type:
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Velkoměsto a výkony v neuropsychologických testech u starších osob Ceskoslovenska Psychologie/Czechoslovak Psychology, year: 2016, volume: 60, edition: 6
2015
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Města a místa přátelská vyššímu věku - pohled českých seniorů a seniorek Year: 2015, type:
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Ostrava - město přátelské lidem vyššího věku? Ostrava - Interdisciplinární diskurs, edition: Vyd. 1, year: 2015, number of pages: 3 s.
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Socio-spatial aspects of ageing in an urban context: an example from three Czech Republic cities Ageing and Society, year: 2015, volume: 35, edition: 6, DOI