Ageing in a stigmatised neighbourhood: an intersectional approach to place attachment
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This paper explores the social experiences of ageing in a stigmatised neighbourhood, using the “quartier prioritaire” Hautepierre in Strasbourg (France) as a case study. Through an intersectional lens focusing on place attachment, the study reveals how factors such as social networks and architectural barriers influence older adults’ emotional connections to their neighbourhood. Based on nine qualitative interviews and participant observation, the research highlights diverse ageing-in-place experiences shaped by gender, socioeconomic status and migration background – experiences emerging within the dialectic of internal solidarity and external stigmatisation. The findings demonstrate that while some residents maintain strong emotional bonds with their neighbourhood, others face challenges exacerbating feelings of isolation. This study contributes to theoretical debates on ageing in urban contexts, emphasising the transferability of its insights to other stigmatised neighbourhoods. By advocating for intersectional urban planning, the paper underscores the need for context-sensitive approaches addressing the complex interplay of individual and structural factors in urban settings.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Since 2020 the International Journal of Ageing and Later Life uses a Creative Commons: Attribution license, which allows users to distribute the work and to reform or build upon it without the author's permission. Full reference to the author must be given.
References
Adorno, G., Fields, N., Cronley, C., Parekh, R. & Magruder, K. (2018). Ageing in a low-density urban city: Transportation mobility as a social equity issue. Ageing and Society 38(2): 296–320. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X16000994
Ågotnes, G., Charlesworth, S. & MacDonald, M. (2022). Ageing in space: Remaking community for older adults. Anthropology & Aging 43(2): 40–57. https://doi.org/10.5195/aa.2022.391
Andrews, G. J., Cutchin, M. P. & Skinner, M. W. (2017). Space and place in geographical gerontology: Theoretical traditions, formations of hope. In M. W. Skinner, G. J. Andrews & M. P. Cutchin (Eds), Geographical Gerontology: Perspectives, Concepts, Approaches (pp. 11–28). London: Routledge.
Annink, A. & Van Hees, S. (2023). Meaning over things: How objects and places matter to the residential happiness of older adults. Journal of Aging and Environment 37(3): 277–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/26892618.2022.2092926
Aublanc, M. (2024, 31 December). Violences urbaines à Strasbourg: Quatre jeunes, dont trois mineurs, présentés à la justice. Le Parisien. Available on https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/violences-urbaines-a-strasbourg-quatre-jeunes-dont-trois-mineurs-presentes-a-la-justice-31-12-2024-BKIWI6UMBZHWJAKTVMKJ56MX5M.php (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Buffel, T., De Donder, L., Phillipson, C., De Witte, N., Dury, S. & Verté, D. (2014). Place attachment among older adults living in four communities in Flanders, Belgium. Housing Studies 29(6): 800–822. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2014.898741
Chan, O. F., Liu, Y., Guo, Y., Lu, S., Chui, C. H. K., Ho, H. C., Song, Y., Cheng, W., Chiu, R. L. H. & Webster, C. (2023). Neighborhood built environments and cognition in later life. Aging & Mental Health 27(3): 466–474. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2046697
Cho, S., Crenshaw, K. W. & McCall, L. (2013). Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and praxis. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 38(4): 785–810. https://doi.org/10.1086/669608
Clark, W. A. V., Ong, V. R. & Phelps, C. (2024). Place attachment and aging in place: Preferences and disruptions. Research on Aging 46(3–4): 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/01640275231209683
Cloutier-Fisher, D. & Harvey, J. (2009). Home beyond the house: Experiences of place in an evolving retirement community. Journal of Environmental Psychology 29(2): 246–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.07.002
Courbebaisse, A. (2023). Les grands ensembles, supports au vieillissement ? Études de cas à Toulouse et Bruxelles. Gérontologie et Société 45(2): 19–44. https://doi.org/10.3917/gs1.171.0019
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum 1(8): 139–167. Available on https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8
Crenshaw, K. W. (1993). Beyond racism and misogyny: Black feminism and 2 Live Crew. In M. J. Matsuda, C. R. Lawrence, R. Delgado & K. W. Crenshaw (Eds.), Words that Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech, and the First Amendment (pp. 111–132). New York: Routledge.
CSC Hautepierre Le Galet. (2026). Rencontres et Convivialité. Available on https://csc-hautepierre.fr/adultes-et-famille/rencontres-et-convivialite/ (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Degnen, C. (2016). Socialising place attachment: Place, social memory and embodied affordances. Ageing & Society 36(8): 1645–1667. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X15000653
Douma, L., Steverink, N. & Meijering, L. (2021). Geographical life-space and subjective wellbeing in later life. Health & Place 70: Article 102608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102608
Drilling, M. & Schnur, O. (2019). Neighbourhood research from a geographical perspective. Die ERDE – Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin 150(2): 48–60. https://doi.org/10.12854/erde-2019-416
Enßle, F. & Helbrecht, I. (2018). Ungleichheit, Intersektionalität und Alter(n) – Für eine räumliche Methodologie in der Ungleichheitsforschung. Geographica Helvetica 73(3): 227–239. https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-73-227-2018
Enßle, F. & Helbrecht, I. (2021). Understanding diversity in later life through images of old age. Ageing and Society 41(10): 2396–2415. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X20000379
Epstein, R. (2024). Politique de la ville: Changements de cap et absence de perspectives. Les Cahiers du Développement Social Urbain 80(1): 12–14. https://doi.org/10.3917/cdsu.080.0012
Finlay, J. M. & Finn, B. M. (2021). Geography’s blind spot: The age-old urban question. Urban Geography 42(8): 1061–1078. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2020.1742468
Finlay, J. M., Gaugler, J. E. & Kane, R. L. (2020). Ageing in the margins: Expectations of and struggles for “a good place to grow old” among low-income older Minnesotans. Ageing and Society 40(4): 759–783. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X1800123X
Fulda, L., Geißler, L. S., Heidorn, J. R. & Lüschow, G. (2023). Hautepierre. Hinter den Fassaden: Wurzeln und Wandel. Quartiersleben in Straßburg. Available on https://www.huge.geographie.uni-freiburg.de/projektstudien/strassburg2023/hautepierre.html (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Gérard, J.-F. (2018, 30 July). Quand Hautepierre Était Construit Dans Les Années 1970, Un Quartier Moderne à L’ouest de Strasbourg. Rue 89 Strasbourg. Available on https://www.rue89strasbourg.com/archives-vivantes-ina-construction-hautepierre-1970-ouest-strasbourg-139362 (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Gibson, K., Brittain, K., McLellan, E., Kingston, A., Wilkinson, H. & Robinson, L. (2024). “It’s where I belong”: What does it mean to age in place from the perspective of people aged 80 and above? A longitudinal qualitative study (wave one). BMC Geriatrics 24(1): Article 524. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-05139-2
Gómez, M. V. & Lebrusán, I. (2022). Urban ageing, gender and the value of the local environment: The experience of older women in a central neighbourhood of Madrid, Spain. Land 11(9): Article 1456. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091456
Greenham, D. (2018). Close Reading: The Basics. London: Routledge.
Hernstein Smith, B. (2016). What was “close reading”? The Minnesota Review 2016(87): 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1215/00265667-3630844
Hoffelner, A. (2018). Geschlecht und Stadtplanung: Geschlechterverhältnisse in der österreichischen Stadtplanung. GW-Unterricht 1: 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1553/gw-unterricht149s5
Holman, D. & Walker, A. (2021). Understanding unequal ageing: Towards a synthesis of intersectionality and life course analyses. European Journal of Ageing 18(2): 239–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00582-7
Hopkins, P. & Pain, R. (2007). Geographies of age: Thinking relationally. Area 39(3): 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4762.2007.00750.x
Huguenin-Richard, F. & Cloutier, M.-S. (2021). Mesure du potentiel de marche et de l’accessibilité dans les espaces urbains pour les piétons âgés. Flux 123(1): 30–53. https://doi.org/10.3917/flux1.123.0030
INSEE. (2024a). Population En 2020 – Données Sur Les Quartiers 2024 De La Politique De La Ville. Available https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8210600?sommaire=8186144 (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
INSEE. (2024b, 17 October). L’essentiel Sur.La Pauvreté. Available on https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/5759045#onglet-3 (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
INSEE. (2025, 27 February). Revenus, Pauvreté Et Niveau De Vie En 2021 – Données Sur Les Quartiers 2024 De La Politique De La Ville. Available on https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8243167?sommaire=8186144 (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Jeuffin, A. (2021, 10 September). Les Habitants Du Quartier De Hautepierre À Strasbourg Ont Le Sentiment D’être Délaissés: “On Peut Peut Dire Ce Qu’on Veut, Ça Ne Bouge Pas!” Franceinfo. Available on https://www.francetvinfo.fr/politique/banlieues/les-habitants-du-quartier-de-hautepierre-a-strasbourg-ont-le-sentiment-d-etre-delaisses-des-subventions-tombent-mais-les-projets-navancent-pas_4765699.html (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Kamani Fard, A. & Paydar, M. (2024). Place attachment and related aspects in the urban setting. Urban Science 8(3): Article 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8030135
Kemper, J. & Vogelpohl, A. (2020). Die sozial-unternehmerische Stadt: Gesellschaftliche Ungleichheit, Reproduktionskrise und Stadtpolitik in Hamburg. Geographica Helvetica 75(3): 221–233. https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-75-221-2020
Lebrusán, I. & Gómez, M. V. (2022). The importance of place attachment in the understanding of ageing in Ppace: “The Stones Know Me”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(24): Article 17052. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417052
Lewis, C. & Buffel, T. (2020). Aging in place and the places of aging: A longitudinal study. Journal of Aging Studies 54: Article 100870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2020.100870
McKee, K., McCall, V., Theakstone, D., Wilson, K., Reid, L., Gilroy, R., Manley, D., Pearce, A., Davison, L., Lawrence, J. & Pemble, A. (2024). Understanding the intersectional stigma of ageing, disability, and place: A systematic literature mapping review. Housing Studies 41(1): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2024.2421844
Michel, I. (2023, 31 October). Renouvellement Urbain à Strasbourg: “Ce Quartier de Hautepierre, Je Le Connais Par Cæur, C’est Pour Ça Que J’ai Décidé D’acheter Ici”. France 3 Grand Est. Available on https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/grand-est/alsace/renouvellement-urbain-a-strasbourg-ce-quartier-de-hautepierre-je-le-connais-par-c-ur-c-est-pour-ca-que-j-ai-decide-d-acheter-ici-2865542.html (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Milligan, C. (2015). Place and informal care in an ageing society: Reviewing the state of the art in geographical gerontology. Progress in Geography 34(12): 1558–1576. https://doi.org/10.18306/dlkxjz.2015.12.005
Moreau, L. & Hamoussa, H. (2010). Le quartier de Hautepierre à Strasbourg. Available on https://www.geographie.ens.psl.eu/le-quartier-de-hautepierre-a.html (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Ohrvik, A. (2024). What is close reading? An exploration of a methodology. Rethinking History 28(2): 238–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642529.2024.2345001
Ottoni, C. A., Sims-Gould, J., Winters, M., Heijnen, M. & McKay, H. A. (2016). “Benches become like porches”: Built and social environment influences on older adults’ experiences of mobility and well-being. Social Science & Medicine 169: 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.08.044
Palladino, S. (2019). Older migrants reflecting on aging through attachment to and identification with places. Journal of Aging Studies 50: Article 100788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2019.100788
Phillipson, C. (2007). The “elected” and the “excluded”: Sociological perspectives on the experience of place and community in old age. Ageing and Society 27(3): 321–342. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X06005629
Rowles, G. D. (1983). Place and personal identity in old age: Observations from Appalachia. Journal of Environmental Psychology 3(4): 299–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(83)80033-4
Scannell, L. & Gifford, R. (2010). Defining place attachment: A tripartite organizing framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology 30(1): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006
Schwanen, T. & Páez, A. (2010). The mobility of older people – An introduction. Journal of Transport Geography 18(5): 591–595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2010.06.001
Shamur, T. (2023). Place melancholy as a lost sense of belonging during urban transformation among older women long-term residents of HaTikva neighborhood in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Gender, Place & Culture 30(1): 111–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2021.2016654
Shenk, D., Kuwahara, K. & Zablotsky, D. (2004). Older women’s attachments to their home and possessions. Journal of Aging Studies 18(2): 157–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2004.01.006
Skinner, M. W., Andrews, G. J. & Cutchin, M. P. (2018). Introducing geographical gerontology. In M. W. Skinner, G. J. Andrews & M. P. Cutchin (Eds.), Geographical Gerontology: Perspectives, Concepts, Approaches (pp. 3–10). London: Routledge.
Stjernborg, V., Wretstrand, A. & Tesfahuney, M. (2015). Everyday life mobilities of older persons – A case study of ageing in a suburban landscape in Sweden. Mobilities 10(3): 383–401. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2013.874836
Van De Wetering, S. A. L. (2020). Stigmatization and the social construction of a normal identity in the Parisian banlieues. Geoforum 116: 303–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.05.009
Ville et Eurométropole de Strasbourg. (2024). Le projet De Renouvellement Urbain Du Quartier De Hautepierre. Available on https://www.strasbourg.eu/pru-hautepierre (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Vos, W. H., van Boekel, L. C., Janssen, M. M., Leenders, R. T. A. J. & Luijkx, K. G. (2020). Exploring the impact of social network change: Experiences of older adults ageing in place. Health & Social Care in the Community 28(1): 116–126. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12846
Wacquant, L. (2008). Urban Outcasts: A Comparative Sociology of Advanced Marginality. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Wanka, A., Wiesböck, L., Allex, B., Mayrhuber, E.-A.-S., Arnberger, A., Eder, R., Kutalek, R., Wallner, P., Hutter, H.-P. & Kolland, F. (2019). Everyday discrimination in the neighbourhood: What a “doing” perspective on age and ethnicity can offer. Ageing and Society 39(9): 2133–2158. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X18000466
Webber, R., May, V. & Lewis, C. (2023). Ageing in place over time: The making and unmaking of home. Sociological Research Online 28(3): 759–774. https://doi.org/10.1177/13607804221089351
Wiles, J. (2005). Conceptualizing place in the care of older people: The contributions of geographical gerontology. Journal of Clinical Nursing 14(Suppl. 2): 100–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2005.01281.x
World Health Organization. (2023). National Programmes for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities: A Guide. Available on https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240068698 (Accessed: May 14, 2026).
Yarker, S., Doran, P. & Buffel, T. (2024). Theorizing “place” in aging in place: The need for territorial and relational perspectives. The Gerontologist 64(2): 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad002
Yazdanpanahi, M. & Woolrych, R. (2023). Making sense of home among ethnic minority older adults: Experiences of aging in place among the Turkish community in London. Home Cultures 20(1): 43–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/17406315.2023.2209773
Yung, E. H. K., Conejos, S. & Chan, E. H. W. (2016). Social needs of the elderly and active aging in public open spaces in urban renewal. Cities 52: 114–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2015.11.022
Ziegler, F. (2012). “You have to engage with life, or life will go away”: An intersectional life course analysis of older women’s social participation in a disadvantaged urban area. Geoforum 43(6): 1296–1305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2012.03.013