Sociology ; revision notes - demography

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The Ageing Population

Trends :

1in

5 pensioners live in poverty

30 elderly

people commit suicide a week

14% of all households are one pensioner households

the dependency ratio

shows that over the years the number of the dependent population is increasing and this makes it harder for providing population

the increase in the number of old people raises the dependency ratio, in an ageing population this si offset by a declining number of dependent children

more dependent people due to longer life expectancy creates struggles of obtaining finances for care servies

the social construction of aging a problem

the Griffiths report (1998) ; care of the elderly saw society facing the problem of meeting the costs of health ; pensioner time bomb

ageism negative stereotype of the elderly - Townsend (1982) reasons for negative view of old people in the social construction as a period of dependency

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social policy and the ageing population (social policy and demography )

abolition the retirement law (2011)

used to tackle rising problems with the ageing population

Hirsch (2005) argues we should reverse the trend toward retirement ; redistribute educational resources towards older people

housing policy ; encourage the elderly to trade down to smaller accommodation and retirement homes

positives with the ageing population :

help with childcare; cut expenses for families

biggest social group to volunteer

big consumer ; the grey pound - 4.9 65+ volunteer

longer life expectancy means people are effectively ' younger ' - spijker and macInnes (2013)

negatives;

increase In life expectancy affects the dependency ratio

increase in taxes to provide for health and social care

gender and social class divisions among the elderly meaning the failed pension system is more detrimental to the w/c than the m/c - females live longer and are liable to old age diseases which creates more expense