AGE INEQUALITIES

Question 1

Explanation 1

Answer 1

the young and the elderly act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society

Question 2

the young and the elderly act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society

Answer 2

Phillipson

Question 3

the young and the elderly act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society (phillipson)

Answer 3

• some members of society are a secondary source of labour
• growing market of zero hour contracts where employees are only given work when available but have to be free to work regardless and benefits such as pensions and sick pay is not provided
• These in the reserve for work category take up these contacts which as unemployed youth or elderly people who are looking to continue to work to bring in some income post-retirement
• The elderly have historically been used as a reserve army of labour, but this role has grown in recent years so age inequality can be seen as something constructed by the bourgeoisie

Question 4

Explanation 2

Answer 4

individuals are kept in a false consciousness about their exploited position

Question 5

individuals are kept in a false consciousness about their exploited position

Answer 5

gramsci

Question 7

Explanation 3

Answer 7

the elderly are forced to become dependent to create space in the labour market for young, productive workers

Question 8

the elderly are forced to become dependent to create space in the labour market for young, productive workers

Answer 8

Phillipson and Townsend

Question 9

the elderly are forced to become dependent to create space in the labour market for young, productive workers (Phillipson and Townsend)

Answer 9

• Inequality must meet the needs of the economy.
• this places the elderly in a negative position as a burden on the economy
• Capitalism needs to continually renew its workforce to empire greater profit by using young workers who are more productive
• the elderly being marginalised happens through a process of institutionalised dependency: he elderly being forced to retire the needs of the economy are met through making space for young workers
• As a result of institutionalised dependency, the status of the elderly is lowered in society as they are not seen as valuable to the economy as they were before as workers

Question 10

explanation 4

Answer 10

the capitalist class manipulates the elderly into retiring and uses them as a scapegoat for societal issues

Question 11

the capitalist class manipulates the elderly into retiring and uses them as a scapegoat for societal issues

Answer 11

Vincent

Question 12

the capitalist class manipulates the elderly into retiring and uses them as a scapegoat for societal issues (Vincent)

Answer 12

• Pensions creates disadvantage because they are too low
• creates issues particularly for women who are more likely to be dependent on state pension as they are less likely to have worked full time and saved for a private pension
• retirement age is a social construct to ensure that elderly have a clear idea of what age the state would prefer them to retire to make way for a new younger workforce
• In order to justify the inequality faced by retired people, a moral panic over an ageing population has been creates
• This is also a social construct and the main problem is not ageing but with a failure to redistribute wealth
• If the government redistributed sufficient income from the wealthy, there would not be problems with providing social care which arguably is seen as a drain on the state
• Vincent argues that presenting ageing as a problem presents an ideological distraction
• The elderly act as a scapegoat for the economic issues that are faced.