JKR: The Ageing Population

Question 1

What is happening to the average age of the UK population?

Answer 1

It is rising and there are fewer young people and more old people.

Question 2

What do Age Pyramids do?

Answer 2

They illustrate the change of age profile of a population.

Question 3

What does Hirsch say about the age pyramids?

Answer 3

Traditional ones are disappearing. Estimates that by 2041, there will be as many 78 year olds as 5 year olds.

Question 4

Why do we have an ageing population? (3)

Answer 4

• increased life expectancy
• declining infant mortality
• declining fertility rates

Question 5

How are Public services affected by an ageing population?

Answer 5

We may need more medical care services specialised for old people as they consume a larger proportion of health services.

We may have to pay more tax for pensions.

Question 6

How have one person households been affected by an ageing population?

Answer 6

The number of pensioners living alone has increased - 12.5%.

Most are female.

Question 7

What is the Feminisation of Later Life?

Answer 7

Women live longer than men so there are more old women than old men.

Question 8

How is the dependency ratio affected by an ageing population?

Answer 8

More old people = more dependant people so we have a higher demand but less supply as there are fewer young people.

Question 9

Are all old people dependant?

Answer 9

NO, it is wrong to assume this as pensioners may have their own savings and assets.

Question 10

What else raises the dependency ratio?

Answer 10

Declining number of dependent children (stay on at school longer)

Question 11

How has Ageism been affected by the ageing population?

Answer 11

It has increased - unequal treatment of people on the basis of their age e.g. assuming all old people are on ‘benefits’ and costing us a lot in tax.

Question 12

Ageism is said to be the result of…

Answer 12

Structured dependency- everyone is built around how economically active we are so old people are not permitted to work because they are seen as unuseful.

Question 13

What does Phillipson, a Marxist day about modern society and old age?

Answer 13

The old people are no use to capitalism because they are of no use to the state, unwilling to be given benefits.

Question 14

In modern society, ho is life structured?

Answer 14

• childhood , youth etc

Age is important in role allocation e.g. being classed as a ‘pensioner’

Question 15

What do Postmodernists argue?

Answer 15

That the fixed orderly stages of life have broken down e.g. we have teens acting like adults, later marriages etc

Question 16

What does Hunt, Postmodernist, say about the life stages?

Answer 16

That consumption, not production is our identities now as we can now choose a lifestyle and identity regardless of age.

Question 17

How do the trends in postmodern society affect the ageist stereotypes?

Answer 17

It breaks it down as the media now presents more positive images of old people and there is an emphasis on surface features- where our body becomes our identity.

Question 18

Who says that inequalities such as class and gender remain important?

Answer 18

Pilcher - he says that middle class people get better pensions because of their higher salaries and poor people have a shorter life.

Also, women get lower earnings meaning lower pensions - although it is not their fault.

Question 19

What did Age Concern find?

Answer 19

That 29% of people reported suffering age discrimination than any other form.

Question 20

What does Hirsch argue about what is needed?

Answer 20

A number of important social policies will need to change to tackle the new problems because of the ageing population.

Question 21

Give examples of what Hirsch says needs to be changed: (2)

Answer 21

• we need to figure out how we are going to finance a longer period of old age.
• housing policies may need to encourage older people to trade down into smaller accommodation.