Ageing population Flashcards
Ageing population
UK stats
The average age is rising as in 1971 it was 34.1, in 2013 it stood at 40.3 and by 2037 it is predicted to reach 42.8.
in 2014 the number of over 65 and under 15s was equal for the first time ever.
Age Pyrmids
show how older groups are a smaller proportion of the population.
Hirsch notes the traditional pyrmaid is dissapearing and a new one is taking over.
Donald hirsch (2005)
Factors causing ageing population
Increased life expectancy
Decline in infant mortality rate- not dying in early life
Declining fertility rate- less young people in relation to old people
Effects of ageing population
Public services
Older people could rely more on health or social care than other generations, so causing more stress and demand on these services. It could als put more stress on housing and transport.
However this is a generalistaion as many elderly people are in good health.
Effects of ageing population
One person pensioner household
These households account for 1 in 8 households in the uk, these are often women as women on average live longer than men. This is knows and the feminisation of later life.
Effects of ageing population
Dependency ratio
Similally to the young non working group- older people are economically depended and rely on public taxation.
In 2015 there was 3.2 workers for everyone who relyed on it, this figure is set to drop to 2.8 by 2030
Could be due to ageism
Ageism
Define
Ageism is the negative steryotype and unequal treatment of people due the their age.
Often seen in employment or healthcare
Structured dependency
Define
This is where older people are often excluded from payed work so have no choice to be dependent on their family or the state.
Marxist veiw on old age in Capitalism
The old are no use to capitalists as they are no longer productive, this means the state is unwilling to support them so they need to rely on family.
Phillipson (1982)
Consumption
Postmodern society
Consumption is becoming more defining in our identity so we can define ourselves by what we consume, showing we can choosie our lifestyle and identity no matter how old we are.
Hunt (2005)
What does this mean for older people
Postmodern society
As people are able to shape their identity older people will want to avoid ageism so they will use exersies, anti ageing pills or even cosmetic surgery to avoid looking as old as they do.
Features of post modern society to break steryotypes.
The centraility of the media- media images begin to portray the positive aspects of elderly life.
The empthesis of surface features- The body is the surface where we write our identites, so anti ageing products help us write different identities
Inequality among the old
Inequalities such as class and gender remain improtant and many of these are related to previous occupational positions
Pilcher (1995)
Class
Inequality among the old
The middle class have better occupational pensions and greater savings from higher saleries, poorer people have shorter life expectency and find it harder to maintai the youthful look
Gender
Inequality among the old
Women will often have lower earnings and take more carrer breaks than men so will recive lower pensions than what the men will recive.
