MICRA Co-director to speak on social relationships in Japan and the UK

The virtual event, organised by the ILC for 9 December, will discuss the findings from the SWAN project (Social relationships and Well-being across Ageing Nations), a research collaboration of UK and Japanese researchers which is led by University College London (UCL).

Survey evidence has shown that social connections play a crucial role in maintaining health in later life. Yet such relationships vary across countries and are shaped by cultural contexts. Survey instruments, even when harmonised, may miss out on some of this nuance. In addition, the nature of social relationships changes over time, and new measures may be useful or needed.

In recognising this, the SWAN team has explored existing datasets and engaged experts and stakeholders in both the UK and Japan to learn more about what needs to happen next. The work highlights:

• The differences between networks and support, i.e. the structural vs the functional;
• The measures that exist to capture social connections in different ways;
• How different groups display varying patterns in their social relationships across key characteristics like gender and culture.

Find out more about the project and register for the upcoming event.

View Professor Tarani Chandola's research profile.