Summary of Table Talks
Table 8 presents a summary of the Table Talk sessions, including locations and number of participants. Table Talks were held across Elgin County. The number of sessions in each area reflects different total populations in each area.
Table 8. Summary of Table Talks.
| Location | Place and date | Participants | |||
| Female | Male | Total | |||
| East Straffordville Aylmer |
Straffordville Community Centre Tues., June 24, 3:00-5:30pm Terrace Lodge Nursing Home Tues., June 24, 11:30am-2:00pm |
Seniors Youth Seniors Youth |
10 3 13 2 |
4 0 1 1 |
14 3 14 3 |
| Central St. Thomas |
St. Thomas Seniors Centre Tues., June 10, 4:00-6:30 pm |
Seniors Seniors Youth |
4 5 4 |
4 1 1 |
8 6 5 |
| West West Lorne |
West Elgin Secondary School Wed., June 11, 4:00-6:30pm |
Seniors Youth |
6 8 |
3 5 |
9 13 |
| Total | 55 | 20 | 75 | ||
Overall, the table talks in Elgin County between youth and seniors went well. Participants fully engaged in free-flowing discussions, building upon the contributions of others. We collected many perceptions of inclusion and exclusion. Not surprisingly, young people and seniors have different views.
The format of the table talks worked well. The narratives were effective tools that provided a common point of reference for all sessions. And, as intended, people were very quick to respond and easily expressed their views both in support of the narrative and against it. Each subsequent session took less time to complete. This may be attributed to the facilitators who became more comfortable both with the format and the topic. Not all sessions were alike. One of the most difficult sessions was with youth.
This group of youth talked of being very included and expressed few concerns or ideas about changing the situation. When prompted to consider other youth who might be excluded, the youth did not have much to say. In another group, some seniors expressed concern that more time was not spent talking with you.
Although the table talks did go well, there is room for improvement. For instance, the places to convene both seniors and youth could be more neutral. Holding meetings in seniors centres may have deterred youth from participating. Consequently, more seniors than youth participated in the sessions. Generally, the host organisations did not appear to satisfy the requirement to recruit youth and seniors. In one instance, there was a problem of miscommunication. A group of youth showed up at the wrong time and missed the entire session. Also, females outnumbered males almost three to one.
Overall, the difficulties encountered recruiting participants together with the sense that those who did show up were generally considered to be included, raise questions about whether participants should have been ‘targetted’ more directly. For example, participants could have been recruited who explicitly met prescribed criteria of being excluded (e.g., low income living in subsidised housing).
Narratives of Elgin County
Each Table Talk session was facilitated and recorded. The desired outcome of these sessions was to be able to create two narratives about social inclusion, one for seniors and one for youth. These two narratives are presented below. Each narrative was created by synthesising the Table Talk sessions. Members of the SEII-EC research team prepared the following narratives. The intention is to share these narratives with participants during a forum to be convened in the fall of 2003.
The story we heard from seniors in Elgin County
We feel we belong. We acknowledge, however, that there are seniors who are excluded because they live in rural areas, have health problems, face transportation barriers, have a disability, or other reasons. We feel a genuine concern to help include those seniors in need. Ageing and health issues can be roadblocks that can go unrealised until it is too late.
We are large contributors to the places we live. This fosters a sense of pride and commitment. We are involved with many issues and contribute to a cohesive unit through fundraising and voluntary work. We are very interested with local issues and ask a lot of questions. We care about our localities and genuinely want to make them a better place. The majority of us live with a heightened sense of awareness, concern, and respect. There are many fun and active events that are available to us - Euchre nights, service clubs, church groups, walking groups, festivals, barbecues, and local sports games. Community centres, churches, and other institutions are often the heart and soul of the area. Closures of these centres will be detrimental.
Transportation is a major issue with all seniors. Transportation, public or otherwise, is unavailable or inaccessible to those who do not own cars. Seniors are fearful of being dependent on a public transportation system that is so poorly organised, especially in rural areas. We see an inherent difference between rural seniors and urban seniors. For example, rural seniors are thought to be very self-reliant.
Getting the attention and respect of local councils can feel like an impossible feat. We believe that decision-making institutions are not representative of the senior population nor do they consider us in their planning efforts. We feel that top decision makers are unavailable. Getting money and support from councils can be difficult.