Teach-driven Opportunity in Cultural Consumption Patterns of the Elderly

With rapid population ageing, the well-being of those aged 60 and above has become a focal point for private and public policies. Creative and cultural participation play a vital role in promoting social cohesion, inclusion, and the accumulation of social capital among the elderly (Belfiore, 2002, Ferraro et al., 2019). Grossi et al. (2011) analysed the social dimension of cultural activities and found that collective participation motivates older people to engage in activities that they would not typically practice alone. McLean et al. (2011) surveyed 31 studies on people over 60, mostly based in the UK and USA, and concluded that participatory art programs provide opportunities for social contact, friendship, and support within the art groups themselves. In general, cultural participation improves the well-being of older people and counteracts the negative effects of ageing. Noice et al. (2014) reviewed the benefits and challenges of participatory arts for older adults and highlighted the importance of dance, expressing writing, music, theatre arts, and visual arts in improving their quality of life. Archer et al. (2018) examined a spectrum of 40 different factors that could potentially contribute to overall well-being. Among these factors, which encompassed elements like physical activity and community group affiliations, cultural participation emerged as the paramount influencer, as established by their findings.Although cultural access and participation are vital, significant portion of the elderly population is unable to engage with the arts due to various barriers. Keaney and Oskala (2007) identified poor health, inadequate social networks, and limited transportation access as significant impediments to cultural access among individuals aged 55 and above. Additionally, Goulding (2018) pointed out the importance of the vicious circle that cultural participation perpetuates by both reflecting and creating inequality of opportunities in later life. Cultural engagement reveals the impact of class, gender, and ethnicity on engagement contexts and subsequent outcomes. In an era marked by swift digital transformation, technology holds great promise in facilitating elderly access to cultural consumption. Nonetheless, older individuals also encounter challenges in adapting to the ever-evolving technological landscape. This project aims to collect empirical evidence and best practices to analyze the impact of digital transition on the social behaviors of the elderly population and their involvement in cultural and social activities. The primary objectives are to collect information to create a database containing information to enhance understanding of the production of cultural services and products, including those characterized by the use of technology, designed to promote the participation of the population aged 65 and over. The collected information can support the identification of factors contributing to increased cultural engagement among those aged 65 and over. Consequently, it aims to understand the relevant aspects that require attention to outline new areas of intervention and contribute to the definition of policy tools. Keywords (Free Keywords that mainly characterize the project): Elderly, Technology; Cultural consumption patterns; digital transaction; technology; Italy.