demography- life expectancy aging population Flashcards
life expectancy
‘How long on average a person born in a given year can expect to live’.
WHAT ARE SOCIOLOGISTS INTERESTED IN?
class
gender
regional
EG: Women generally live longer than men!
Similarly, those living in the North and Scotland have a lower life expectancy than those in the south
Working class men in unskilled jobs nearly 3 times more likely to die before they are 65!
why is it important to consider life expectancy
The reason that it is so important to consider increasing life-expectancy is that it is creating an AGEING POPULATION which has a huge impact on FAMILIES as well as social policy.
the dependency ratio
As the number of retired people rises, this increases the dependency ratio and the burden on the working population. In 2015, there were 3.2 people of working age for every one pensioner. This ratio is predicted to fall to 2.8 to one by 2033.
the dependency ratio criticism
However, it would be wrong to assume that ‘old’ necessarily equals ‘economically dependent’. For example: the age at which people can draw their pension is rising- from 2020 both men and women will have to wait until they are 66 to access the state pension, rising to 67 from 2026.
three causes of the ageing population
-Increasing Life Expectancy- People are living longer.
- Declining Infant Mortality- Less people die in infancy.
- Declining Fertility Rate- Fewer young people compared to the number of old people.
a consequence of the ageing population
A consequence of an ageing population is the growth of ageism. EG: Discrimination in employment and unequal healthcare treatment. We construct old age as a ‘problem’. The elderly get a ‘stigmatised’ identity. SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED?
Marxists like (Phillipson 1982) say the old are of no use to capitalism because they are no longer productive!
Donald Hirsch (2005) argues that the ageing population has serious implications on social policy
-We must increase the retirement age (or risk placing too much pressure on the workforce)
-Target education towards older people (to teach them the necessary skills to do so).
-Encourage older people to downsize their homes to release finances to help toward their upkeep. (And encourage younger people to buy homes & start families)
postmodern society and old age
The fixed, orderly states of the life course have broken down. E.g: trends such as children dressing in adult styles, later marriage and early retirement all begin to blur the boundaries between the life stages.
Hunt 2005
Consumption, not production, becomes the key to our identities. We can now define ourselves by what we consume. As Hunt (2005) argues, this means we can choose a lifestyle and identity regardless of age.
Pilcher 1995
Whilst fixed life stages may have broken down somewhat, Pilcher (1995) argues inequalities in class and gender are still important.
Middle class=
Middle class= better occupational pensions and greater savings.
Women’s lower earnings and career breaks as carers mean lower pensions. They are also subject to sexist as well as ageist stereotyping
