Student research concludes that u3a alleviates social isolation
Research by two students from The University of Utrecht into the benefits of joining the u3a movement concluded that it helped alleviate loneliness and isolation.
Earlier this year, Sherida ten Lande and Tess Tolma from the University of Utrecht joined in a range of u3a activities in a 10-week fieldwork placement as part of their Bachelors in Cultural Anthropology.
Their report aimed to explore how how social isolation is experienced by people no longer in full time work, and whether activities like those offered by u3a can have any impact. To get a complete picture, the students participated in various online and local u3a activities. They interviewed u3a members from Croydon u3a, Interest Groups Online (an online community for u3a members), and staff from The Third Age Trust to gain an understanding of the u3a model. During the ten weeks, they conducted over 40 interviews, in addition to casual conversations with members.
In the interviews they conducted, members described u3a as a ‘lifeline’, ‘godsend’ and members shared that they ‘would not know where they would be without it’.
In particular, they found u3a membership has been effective in reducing social isolation through offering a (new) social network, and subsequent benefits resulting in structure to retired life, wellbeing, and overall life satisfaction. Participants came forward with stories about previous feelings of loneliness or isolation, whether it was related to retirement or widowhood, which u3a helped to resolve. However, they noted that it does not rule out the possibility of feeling lonely, particularly following bereavement.
Of their experience, Sherida said: “Seeing and experiencing what u3a can offer for those who are no longer working, was amazing. But what was truly inspiring, were the wonderful people that I’ve met and their life experiences shared with me. It was an honour to become part of their lives for a small amount of time."
Tess added, “Despite the rainy 10 weeks we spent in the UK, being with u3a members and staff brought sunshine to my days. The sunshine made me grow as a person, offering a supportive environment in which I could flourish as a young student living in an unfamiliar country, and it also allowed me to develop my professional skills as a researcher. The many wise words and heartfelt stories will stay with me forever!”
Read more about this study on our research database, which is home to over 1000 projects which u3as have been involved in over the last 10 years.