ageing population

• In 2014, the number of over 65s equallled the number of under 15s for the first time
• Hirsch notes that

  traditional 'age' pyramids' are disappearing and being replaced by equal-sized blocks
• By 2041, there will be as many 78-year-olds as 5-year-olds
• 3 reasons for the ageing population

  • Increasing life expectancy
  • Declining infant mortality
  • Declining fertility
• Effect on public services

  Older people consume a large proportion of health and social care services.
• An ageing population will also mean changes to policies and provision of housing, transport or other services
• One-person pensioner households

  the number of pensioners living alone has increased and about half of those account for 12.5% of all households
• Feminisation of later life

  there are twice as many women as men among over 75's
• The dependency ratio

  the non-working old are economically dependent on those of working age; through things such as taxation to pay for pensions and health care
• The age at which people can draw their pension is rising; 67 by 2027
• Consequence of ageing population

  the growth of ageism ; negative stereotyping and unequal treatment of people based on their age
• The Marxist perspective of ageism ( Phillipson )

  The old are no longer useful to capitalism as they are no longer productive. This means that the state is unwilling to support them adequately, so the family has to take responsibility
• Age becomes important in role allocation, creating fixed life stages and age-related identities.

  the old are excluded from a role in the labour force and made dependent
• Postmodernist argument

  in today's society the orderly stages of the life course have been broken down
• How have life stages been broken down

  • children dressing in adult styles
  • later marriage
  • earlier retirement
• Individuals in postmodern society have a greater choice of lifestyle, whatever their age
• Hunt argues (postmodern)

  consumption means that we can choose a lifestyle and identity regardless of age; meaning age no longer determines who we are or how we live
• The centrality of media

  media images now portray positive aspects of the lifestyles of the elderly
• The emphasis on surface features

  the body becomes a surface on which we can write identities. Anti-aging products enable the old to write different identities for themselves.
• Pilcher's argument about inequality

  inequalities such as class and gender remain important
• Class inequalities

  the middle class has better occupational pensions and more significant savings from higher salaries. Poorer people have lower life expectancy and suffer more infirmity
• Gender inequalities

  women's lower earnings and career breaks as carers mean lower pensions. Women are more subject to sexist and ageist stereotyping 'old hags'
• Hirsch argues

  a number of social policies will need to change to tackle the new problems posed by an ageing population
• Housing policies may need to be put in place to encourage older people to 'trade down' into smaller accomodation
• Hirsch recognises

  policy changes will require a cultural change in our attitudes toward old age. The notion of old age is a social construct
• Legal abolition of retirement in 2011 means that older people can continue to work and contribute to the economy way beyond the former retirement age of 65
• around half of the welfare state is allocated to pensions
• By 2050, one in four people are expected to be over the age of 65
• Younger people might find it more difficult to find affordable housing, as much of it will be occupied by the elderly, leading to housing shortages.