Age: marxism

Question 1

What is the reserve amy of labour ?

Answer 1

• Some members are a secondary source of labour (youth or elderly)
• zero hour contracts
  Phillipson = elderly are increasingly used as a force of reserve labour

Question 2

What is legitimisation of authority ?

Answer 2

Gramsci = capitalist rule through force - political society and rule through consent - civil society
Create false consciousness to hide exploitation
- pensions and child benefits are ways to hide exploitation

Question 3

What is the political economy theory ?

Answer 3

• focuses on inequality as a result of meeting the needs of the economy
  Phillipsorti = elderly are seen as a burden on society
• Causes institutionalised dependency
• retired become dependent on society and government schemes as they no longer work

Question 4

What are the evaluations of marxist theories ?

Answer 4

• importance of the ‘grey pound’ - the elderly who spend lot’s of money
• focus on homogenous experience of age (everyone doesn’t have the same experience of age)
• not all jobs marginalise the elderly