demography-ageing population Flashcards
ageing population as a result of
the decline in the death rate, especially the infant mortality rate, and the increase in life expectancy
There are increasing numbers of people aged
65 and over and decrease in number of people aged 16 and under
Between 1971 and 2004, the number of young people aged under 16 declined by
18%
between 1971 and 2004 the number of people aged 65 and over increased by
29%
impacts of ageing population
(positive- family)
-Supporting dual worker families/providing
childcare (40% provide regular childcare) due
to greater health, positive effects for the elderly
impacts of ageing population
(positive-society)
Volunteerism – benefits society, 1/3 volunteer
impacts of ageing population
(positive-economy)
Positive ageing/grey consumerism – increased
retirement period, spending power (benefits
the economy)
-older people consume a larger percentage of services such as health and social care compared to other age groups
impacts of ageing population
(negative-burden)
Struggle to meet cost demands (Griffiths
report), burden on NHS
impacts of ageing population
(negative-dependency ratio)
Increased dependency ratio – older
retirement age- strain on public services
impacts of ageing population
(taxes)
increase in taxes for working age
impacts of ageing population
(negative-women)
Increased burden on women – beanpole
families/sandwich generation
emotional strain and overcrowding if an elderly and physically dependent relative moves in, which causes conflict between couples and between parents and children.
-culture of dependency
one person pensioner household
-now account for 12.5% of all households- most=female
-among over 75s, twice as many women as men
over 75s twice as many women as men described as
feminisation of later life
Evidence from sociological studies such as Finch and Mason, O’Brien and Jones et al. and Foster, suggest
the elderly have regular contact with extended kin. Many elderly relatives use new technology such as e-mail to keep in contact with their extended kin.
There has been an increase in the number of
one-person households over state pension age as a proportion of all households. In 2005, 14% of all households were of this type.
In 2005
59% of women aged 75 and over were living alone
ageism
prejudice or discrimination against someone due to their age
most structural sociologists see old age as
a life stage which many argue has become stigmatised with associations of dependency + being a burden
what do postmodernists believe?
people are always free to choose their identities through our lifestyle
chambers (2012)
elderly population
not a homogenous group- there are differences in experiences of ageing due to factors like:
-social class
-gender
-sexual orientation
-location
-migration
-family support
elderly often stereotyped as
(chambers 2012)
unproductive and dependent
-chambers argues this is not the case as many elderly people remain independent until death
-also valuable members of family life(e.g many grandparents=primary carers for children, extended family valued in south-asian cultures)
elderly=economic liability to family members,
chambers would argue
- elderly contribute to society in many other ways, not a burden
policy implications
-according to Hirsch(200) people need to work into 60s +70s to pay more taxes during work life to contribute towards cost of health + social care in later life
-argues single pensioners compete with single young people for housing
-old people often own their own home, young people less possesions so miss out
