Active ageing: A strategic policy solution to demographic ageing in the European Union

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. S117-S130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Walker ◽  
Tony Maltby
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Demographic Ageing ◽  
Strategic Policy

‘Since I retired, I can take things as they come. For example, the laundry’: gender, class and freedom in retirement in Switzerland

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1556-1580 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARION REPETTI ◽  
TONI CALASANTI
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
European Union ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Population Ageing ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Reform Policy ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Gender Division Of Labour

ABSTRACTPopulation ageing has led many countries to be concerned about the ‘economic burden’ of elders, and several have adopted the active ageing paradigm to reform policy. However, gender differences that moderate the effect of active ageing have been little considered. As in other nations in the European Union, Swiss federal authorities use the active ageing paradigm to reshape ageing policies, including the provision of incentives to seniors to remain in the labour market. At the same time, many recent and proposed changes draw on the assumption of gender equality, even though actual parity has not yet been demonstrated. We know little about how gender shapes retirement in Switzerland, other than in relation to financial inequality between women and men. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with Swiss retirees (N = 15) shows how men and women describe this time of life differently. All respondents characterised retirement as a time of freedom; but the meaning of such freedom diverged for men and women, reflecting the gender division of labour, which is further shaped by class. We discuss the implications of this difference for the gendered consequences of active ageing policies.

Changing Families as European Societies Age

2003 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
SARAH HARPER
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Family Structure ◽  
High Mortality ◽  
Life Transitions ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Family Transitions ◽  
Demographic Ageing ◽  
The Impact

The trends towards falling fertility and mortality and increasing longevity, which have led to the demographic ageing of all Western industrialized societies, have not occurred in isolation. More specifically, we are also seeing a combination of forces which are resulting in the ageing of some life-transitions. While public and legal institutions may be lowering the age threshold into full legal adulthood, individuals themselves are choosing to delay many of those transitions which demonstrate a commitment to full adulthood. This shift from a high-mortality/high-fertility society to a low-mortality/low-fertility society and the ageing of family transitions within these societies have significant implications for both family structure and kinship roles. Drawing on recent demographic figures for the European Union, this paper highlights the impact of these main trends on individuals and families.

Punching Above its Weight: Current and Future Aging Policy in Malta

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 1384-1391
Author(s):  
Marvin Formosa ◽  
Charles Scerri
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Aging Policy

Abstract Malta has been at the forefront in aging policy and healthy aging development. It was the first country to highlight the need of a United Nations-led international action plan aimed at meeting the needs of an emerging global aging population. Through a number of initiatives, Malta has managed to put aging as a top priority on its national policy agenda. The country boasts of the longest life span spent in good health among all European Union countries with its inhabitants expected to live a significant portion of their life free of disability. Malta’s ranking in the Active Ageing Index experienced consistent improvements in the past decade, registering the sharpest progress in the European Union. In response to an increase in individuals with dementia, Malta was also among the first countries to adopt a national strategic policy for dementia. Notwithstanding such significant progress, Malta still lags behind in developing policy directions addressing gender inequalities and minority groups’ interests among its older population. Similar to other Southern European countries, Malta’s accelerated rate of population aging raises concerns with regard to economic growth, sustainability of effective health care and pension systems, and the well-being of older persons. Gender will also feature prominently in the future planning of long-term care policy as older women are projected to increase threefold in the foreseeable years with the high risk of poverty associated with older single and widowed women, implying that a few would be able to opt for private care.

scholarly journals Democratization of the United Nations: What is Expected of India and the European Union?

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9S3) ◽  
pp. 1410-1416
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
United Nations ◽  
World Order ◽  
United Nations Security Council ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Security Strategy ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Strategic Policy ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
The Eu

The United Nations Security Council reflects a setup of the past rather than the reality of the present world order. There has been a clamour for the induction of new countries as permanent members into the council to render it truly universal. But would the expansion of the permanent members naturally lead to the democratization of the most important international organization?India has been one of the claimants for permanent membership. Even though India’s demand is legitimate, it must first seek and secure its place at the global high table and should play a role in helping shape the global order.The European Union tries to lead and influence the international politics by its example and intends to replicate its success at the global level. Just like India, the EU is a votary of ‘multilateralism’ and it stands for the UN, and insists on the need for international laws, agreements, rules and institutions. India is part of EU’s global security strategy and is considered as one among the ‘key’ strategic partners. EU can thus be the perfect and reliable partner for India to achieve its foreign and strategic policy goals. India should join hands with the EU to formulate new global democratic laws and norms, thereby becoming a norm setter on its own right.

scholarly journals The Issue of Active Ageing and Active Old Age in the Education and Social Policy of Slovakia, Germany and Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-331
Author(s):  
Ctibor Határ ◽  
Petra Jedličková
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Research Work ◽  
State Level ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Foreign Education ◽  
The Given

The presented study is the output of the authors from solving the research project VEGA no. 1/0001/18 called Preparation for ageing and old age – possibilities of andragogical intervention. Based on the planned aims of the project, the authors deal with the analysis of the education and social policies of selected states of the European Union to identify those areas which are related to active ageing and active old age. Subsequently, they compare the Slovak education and social policy to foreign education and social ones on the state level, focusing on the topics of active ageing and active old age. The methodology of the research work of the authors lies in the national documents and their subsequent comparing. The authors identified common aspects of the education and social policies of the selected states of the European Union (Slovakia, Germany and Spain) in the given parameters or areas (active ageing and active old age).

scholarly journals Comparative analysis of national and regional models of the silver economy in the European Union

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Klimczuk
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Population Ageing ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regional Models ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Practical Recommendations ◽  
The Eu

The approach to analysing population ageing and its impacts on the economy has evolved in recent years. There is increasing interest in the development and use of products and services related to gerontechnology as well as other social innovations that may be considered as central parts of the ‘‘silver economy.’’ However, the concept of silver economy is still being formed and requires detailed research. This article proposes a typology of models of the silver economy in the European Union (EU) at the national and regional levels. This typology was created by comparing the Active Ageing Index to the typology of varieties and cultures of capitalism and typology of the welfare states. Practical recommendations for institutions of the EU and directions for further research are discussed.

scholarly journals Demographic changes in Poland – the regional dimension

Equilibrium ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Anita Richert-Kaźmierska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Ageing Process ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Ageing Society ◽  
Regional Community

The progressive ageing process concerns both Poland and other Member States of the European Union. In recent years, the share of workers of non-mobile and post-productive age in the total population has been rising, and according to forecasts, in 2035 people aged 45 years and over will represent two-thirds of our society. Since the year 2012, announced the Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations by the European Commission, more and more attention has been paid in the Polish public space to the issues of an ageing society, including its impact on the health of the economy. The article notes that the ageing process does not occur uniformly across all Polish regions, i.e. at the same pace and with the same intensity. The results of studies indicating the regions being most vulnerable to the ageing of the regional community and the negative consequences of this process in the next two decades are presented.

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