Experiences Of Place and Community Among First Generation Turkish Immigrants Living In Brussels, Belgium

This paper aims to explore experiences of everyday life among first generation Turkish immigrants who are ageing in place in Brussels. The data for the present research are derived from a qualitative study in inner-city neighbourhoods characterized by intense deprivation. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 23 Turkish people aged 60 and over, the paper addresses experiences of ageing and quality of life in their neighbourhoods; the variety of ways in which a sense of ‘home’ is created; the constraints and environmental pressures which may prevent people from developing a sense of ‘home’; and the meaning of transnational ties for the experience of place. The results suggest that neighbourhoods, and the attachments older Turkish immigrants maintain with (multiple) place(s), have a significant influence on shaping the experience of exclusion and inclusion in later life. The article concludes with a discussion of three key themes: first, the impact of place on the quality of older Turkish immigrants’ daily life; second, the idea of inclusiveness in everyday life among ageing immigrants living in disadvantaged communities; and third, the need for developing social policies that address the transnational interactions, the social needs and health care demands of a growing and increasingly diverse ageing population.