The ageing population

• Increasing life expectancy


  People are living longer into old age
• Declining infant mortality


  Fewer babies die early on
• Aging population


  Society where the average age of the population increases over time, so there are more older than younger people
• Ageism


  Stereotyping and unequal treatment of a person due to their age
• Declining fertility


  Fewer young people are being born in relation to the number of old people in the population
• Aging population


  Increases money spent on public services like health and social care
• 12.5% of households are one-person pensioner households, and this is increasing over time
• Factors that cause an ageing population

  • Increasing life expectancy
  • Declining infant mortality
  • Declining fertility
• Effects of the ageing population


  • Increased demand for public services
  • More one-person pensioner households
  • Rising dependency ratio
• Dependency ratio


  The non-working old need to be provided for by those of working age, e.g. through taxation to pay for pensions and health care. As the number of retired people rises, the dependency ratio increases.
• Ageism


  Old age is often constructed as a problem, with negative stereotyping portraying the old as incompetent and a burden
• Contrast with traditional societies, where ageing brings higher status, not lower
• Financing a longer old age

  Can be done by paying more in taxes or raising the retirement age, or both
• Hirsch (2005) argues that new policies are needed to finance a longer old age
• Smoking and diet are the greatest factors in life expectancy, not just medical advancements
• Obesity has become a new lifestyle epidemic in the 21st century
• Public health measures in the 20th century, such as improved housing and sanitation, led to improvements in public health and quality of the environment
• Modernity


  Life is structured into fixed age stages and age-related identities, with those excluded from production having a dependent status and stigmatised identity
• Postmodernity


  The fixed stages of the life course have broken down, giving individuals greater choice of lifestyle regardless of age. Consumption, not production, becomes the key to our identities.
• Inequalities among the old

  • Class: Middle class have bigger pensions and savings, and longer life expectancy
  • Gender: Women's lower earnings and role as carers mean lower pensions, and they face sexist and ageist stereotyping
• Postmodern society


  • The set roles of ages and the courses of life are broken down
  • Trends like children dressing as adults, later marriages and earlier retirements
  • Retirement and other life stages no longer have an expected age
• In postmodern society


  Older people can use early retirements and medical treatment to be more able to fulfil roles such as childcare
• In postmodern society


  Age no longer determines how we live
• Features of a postmodern society that undermines old age as a stigmatised life stage

  • The centrality of the media: Media images now positive aspects of elderly life
  • The emphasis on surface features: The body becomes a surface we can write identities on, anti-aging products enable the old to write different identities for themselves
• Modern society


  Old people are largely excluded from paid work, meaning they become economically dependent on the state/their family
• In modern society


  Old people are viewed negatively, as someone's status is defined by their role in production
• Phillipson (1982): 'Old people don't work a lot of the time, means they're no use to capitalism-the state and/or their family is unwilling to provide for them. This leads female relatives in particular, left to take care of them.'
• In modern society


  People can be resentful to older people who rely on state or family funds, tax-paid healthcare and pensions
• Ageing population


  The biggest issue will be how to finance a lower time period of old age, which can be done either by paying more from our savings and taxes when we work, or working longer, or both
• To address problems regarding the ageing population

  Housing policies may need to change so older people are encouraged to 'trade down' to smaller accommodation, freeing housing for younger people and releasing wealth to improve old people's standards of living
• Age as a social construct


  The idea that there is an age 'old enough' to retire
• Policies need cultural change and attitude changes to happen regarding the ageing population