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Demography - Ageing population - Coggle Diagram
Demography - Ageing population
Reasons for an ageing population
Low birth rate
Longer life expectancy
Better healthcare
Lower infant mortality rate
Decreased fertility rate
Statistics
23.4% of male and 29.2% of female babies born in 2018 will survive to the age of 100
Older adults who live alone are more likely to have mental health issues and are more likely to see a GP
The 85+ age group is the fastest growing and is set to double to 3.2 million by mid 2041 and treble by 2066
Japan is the only country with 30% of its population above 60
In 2013, infant mortality rate was more than twice as high in children of married couples of lowest class at 0.54% than it was for children from the highest class at 0.22%
Consequences of the elderly on society
Increased life expectancy
Greater burden on the NHS and public services
More spending on pension / NHS, so less money towards education
Greater effect on the dependency ratio (57%)
Effects on society
Public services
Evaluation (AO3)
Decrease in pension poverty over the last 30 years
Lawton argues that over 65s are the faster growing group to be employed
Rise in retirement age (68)
Not as much of a burden
Spijker and MacInnes argue that there is an ageing population but the elderly are the fittest they have ever been
AO2
People having to depend on the welfare state when elderly make people irrational and careless when they are younger, not giving thought to their own financial needs for when they are elderly (dependency culture)
There should be a distinctive difference between the state and the home, state being public services for all, and the home being a private matter for families
New Right argue that families should take more responsibility for the ageing population
Triple lock keeps this in place
35% social spending on pensions
Stretching the budget, so money goes to older rather than younger people
Has effects on NHS and care homes
Hirsch
Rising dependency ratio
Dependency ratio will increase as there will be more elderly non working adults
In 2015, there were 3.2 people of working age for every pensioner, and it is predicted to fall to 2.8 by 2033
Hirsch argues that we will have to start making policies to deal with a rising dependency ratio
Housing for elderly people (singleton, downsizing)
Paying more taxes
Increasing retirement age
AO2
Marxists argue that elderly people are kept alive for the lowest amount of money possible
Happens the moment they stop being efficient for capitalism
Pension schemes are harder for W/C to save money
New Right argue that the ageing population is putting an unfair burden on working people
Elderly are reliant on hard working families
Consumerism
Older people are making a contribution to the economy through paid work
Pension age is 66 and increasing
Lawton argues that the grey pound highlights spending power old people now have
Spend money on holidays, leisure, and lifestyle
Spend on family, eg. grandchildren
Hunt argues that elderly people are targeted by the media, specifically with anti ageing and rejuvenation products, due to a fear of getting older
AO2
Marxists argue that this benefits capitalism
Exploitation of old people as it goes to the bourgeoisie
Ageism
Age discrimination in employment, less likely to be promoted
Portrayed as negative in media
Discouraged to continue in education
Seen as fragile and in need of protection, so are given less autonomy
In healthcare, their children are spoken to instead of themselves
29% experience age discrimination
Most common form of discrimination
'Structured dependency' - Townsend argues that old people are excluded from paid work and forced to be dependent on the state or family
Exclusion justifies old people having a low income
Philipson argues that old people are no longer useful for capitalism, so they are turned over to the family
Feminism - women face more discrimination in society, due to stereotypes, eg. 'old hag', menopause stereotypes, etc.
Effect on families and households
One person households increase, such as in 2013, 1.7 million widowed women aged over 65 in the UK
Extended families, with many multi generation households
Growth in extended families due to economic pressures, working parents, tradition, particularly in South Asian families
Chambers argues that the child support that grandparents provide (grey wisdom) is a hidden contribution to the economy, as it allows parents to work
5.8 million grandparents look after their grandchildren regularly
Brannen - increase in beanpole families due to ageing population, coupled with women having fewer children
Rise of sandwich generation, where the burden of care is on the mother
Finch and Mason - rise of reciprocity, where elderly give financial support to younger generation in return for care
Willmott and Young - dispersed extended families that live separately as a result of increased geographical mobility
Chamberlain - geographically dispersed extended families that are still in contact
Rise of grey wisdom / grey pound
According to feminists, increased dual burden / triple shift