Social

Question 1

Rising population, increased immigration and ageing

Answer 1

Public spending shift towards health and social care. More private industry in this sector and therefore workers required.

Affects retirement age, as ‘economically active’ population needs to be increased to support those inactive.

Question 2

Class

Answer 2

Traditionally defined by occupation, wealth and education. More recently economic, social and cultural. A recent class study suggests 6 different classes based on these principles.

Question 3

Is class relevant in Modern Britain?

Answer 3

Do new definitions of class show that there is little class structure and fluid movement/social mobility?

Shift in occupational shift with the shift in manufacturing to service industry - I.e. less ‘blue collar’ work, un/semi/skilled work, in favour of ‘white collar,’ I.e. managerial and clerical.

Can be useful as class can be an indicator of behaviour and can thus be exploited to target consumers - such as in recruitment campaigns.

Question 4

Retirement

Answer 4

SPA is ever increasing - expected to increase to 68 by 2036 and WEF recommends age of 70 in rich countries to avoid a pension crisis.
Pension allowance must also be stabilised, it has increased beyond inflation and average earnings between 2010 and 2016.

Question 5

Engaging an ageing population

ONS (2011)

Answer 5

• Labour leisure and learning - less age related HR policies such as set retirement ages, retention instead of reduction of older employees, equal opportunities.
• Finance - encouragement of personal pensions, staged state pensions.
• Healthcare - increased public care demand,
• Services - housing and transport planning, avoidance of electronic disenfranchisement, improved health services.