PAAR-Net Working Group 2 “Community and Place” is pleased to launch a new webinar series titled:
Meaningful Participation and Voice: When Does Older Adults’ Participation Become a Democratic Action?
This series explores participation as a pathway to influence, voice, and democratic engagement in later life. Participatory approaches with older adults are increasingly used to open up research and decision-making processes to a broader range of experiences and forms of knowledge. However, important questions remain: How do we define meaningful participation? Under what conditions does participation strengthen civic agency, inclusion, and democracy?
The series aims to move beyond viewing participation as a purely functional contribution (e.g. involvement in data collection), and instead critically reflect on its civic and democratic potential. In particular, it focuses on how participatory approaches can empower older adults to influence decision-making processes, contribute to community-based initiatives, and challenge structural forms of exclusion.
📅 First Webinar
Title:
Civic Engagement in Later Life: What Counts, Who Participates, and Why It Matters
Date & Time:
29 April 2026 | 13:00–14:00 (CET)
Format:
Online (Microsoft Teams)
We are pleased to welcome Associate Professor Rodrigo Serrat as the first speaker. The session will begin with a presentation, followed by an open discussion.
Chair:
Research Fellow Patty Doran
Research on civic engagement in later life has expanded significantly in recent decades, yet important conceptual and empirical challenges remain. This presentation adopts a multidimensional perspective, understanding civic engagement as a heterogeneous phenomenon that includes a wide range of formal and informal, offline and online activities.
While previous research has largely focused on individual determinants of engagement, less attention has been paid to meso- and macro-level factors that shape opportunities for participation. In addition, many studies overlook the experiences of diverse older populations across different social positions, including gender, health status, migrant background, socioeconomic conditions, and living arrangements.
Drawing on findings from the CIVEX project, conducted in Belgium, Finland, Spain, and Sweden, this presentation explores how structural inequalities, institutional contexts, and lived experiences shape patterns of inclusion and exclusion in later-life civic engagement.
Join the Webinar
The webinar is open to all interested participants.
You can join via the following link:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/06a71e63-6bdf-4679-a7e5-1a1d71d8a82f@c152cb07-614e-4abb-818a-f035cfa91a77