MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER RUSSIAN-SPEAKING MEN’S SOCIAL RELATIONS

FINDINGS FROM THE RASTI AND CHARM STUDIES

Abstrakti

Older people, especially migrants, are at greater risk of social disconnectedness and isolation, as migration can disrupt existing social relations, while age-related changes make it harder to establish new contacts. Previous research on older Russian-speaking migrants in Finland showed that approximately 30% had fewer than two people they considered to be close. Despite this, older men reported feeling lonely almost half as often as older women did. In interviews with older men born in the Soviet Union, we found that they were mostly satisfied with their social contacts, and their friendships helped them meet their needs for recognition and respect. However, the war in Ukraine has challenged men’s social relations.