Bram Vanhoutte awarded Fellowship to investigate resilience in ageing
5 May 2016
Sociologist Dr Bram Vanhoutte has been granted a three year Simon Research Fellowship to investigate resilience in ageing.
Getting older is normally associated with losses in health, partnership and wealth but some people are able to significantly limit the impact of these losses on their wellbeing - to be more resilient. Bram will study the diverse experiences of older adults in England and the US to better understand how people cope with the challenges of ageing.
Bram’s research will investigate the changes over time these adverse events trigger, and how they are influenced by social and material resources, as well as life course pathways. This investigation will use both longitudinal survey data to comparing England with the US, as well as in depth interviews examining the everyday realities of coping with change. The project will highlight what helps to maintain wellbeing in the face of adversity and to age successfully. The aim is to deliver input for policy and practice on managing the challenges of ageing. Bram's fellowship relies on collaboration with older people, Manchester City Council, Age UK and the International Longevity Centre UK, and will include a visiting scholarship to the University of Michigan, USA.