Cars and the Social Networks of the Elderly: The Creation of Disadvantage

The eminent economist Galbraith once argued that if you are poor, it is better to be poor in a poor society. His argument was that in a poor society, systems such as the transport system were based on the needs of the poor; in a rich society, where car ownership rates are high, the poor find their needs are not met. By extending this argument, it is possible to hypothesize that the elderly who are a minority in our society, albeit an increasing one, have their transport needs often overlooked, and their rights in this area denied. The focus of this paper is an examination of transport patterns with reference to the lives of the elderly. It is argued that the elderly in our society are one group with reduced access to the motor car. In a society based on the motor car, this results in an induced dependency. Further their social networks are weakened and their social power correspondingly reduced. This paper uses survey data and secondary data sources to examine the limited access of the elderly to motor cars and ways in which this affects their social networks.