Political activism and wellbeing among older adults in Israel

Abstract

Background and Objectives

The aging process is characterized by encountering challenging situations and losses that may influence the subjective wellbeing of older adults. This study investigates the influence of the political-social crisis that unfolded in Israel in 2023 on the wellbeing of senior citizens. Additionally, it explores whether their participation in protests has contributed to their wellbeing.

Research Design and Methods

We conducted interviews with 30 older adults who were actively engaged in the protest movement against the judicial overhaul. Our sampling approach was designed to encompass a diverse range of factors, including various age groups beyond 65 years, prior involvement in protest activities, geographical distribution, religious involvement, professional backgrounds, and differing political viewpoints.

Results

Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed three key findings: (1) The participants reported feeling fear and anxiety due to the conflict, leading to a decrease in their wellbeing. (2) Participating in protests uplifted their spirits and provided social support, resulting in improved emotional and social wellbeing. (3) When asked about their perception of the crisis in the future, the participants expressed mixed views: Some were cautiously optimistic and others profoundly pessimistic, while the sentiments of some participants fluctuated.

Discussion and Implications

This qualitative study indicates the negative impact of political-social crisis on older adults’ wellbeing, as well as the limited contribution of political activism to its improvement. Equally important, the research highlights the need for stakeholders in aging and gerontology to prioritize promoting older adults’ mental health regularly and during political crises.

Keywords:

• Activism
• ageism
• older adults
• politics
• wellbeing

Authors’ contributions

'SO’, the first author, contributed to the conceptualization of the study, methodology design, conducting the interviews, data analysis, original draft preparation, and utilization of software tools. LA’, the second author, played a role in participant recruitment, data analysis, supervisory activities, validation processes, and contributed to the writing, review, and editing of the manuscript. Both authors have thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All study protocols were approved by the authors’ institutional ethics committee (The Ethics Committee of the School of Social Work at Bar Ilan University, certificate number: 032305), and all interviewees provided an informed consent.

Data availability statement

Most of the data generated or analyzed in this study are incorporated within the published article [and its supplementary information files]. Additional datasets resulting from the current study, such as recorded interviews and interview transcripts, along with photographs of older individuals at demonstrations, are not publicly accessible due to ethical considerations and the need to safeguard the privacy of the interviewees. However, these data can be made available by the authors upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Ageism Impact Center donated by Mrs. Gabi Weisfeld. The funding body had no part in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.