HN360 The Aging Population and Society Unit 3 Seminar Aging In Other Places Madelyn Harvey, LSW

Aging in Other Places There are 4 types of societies/institutions which shaped aging over the years: (1) Hunting and Gathering: Consisted of small groups of individuals where the women gathered vegetables and the men hunted game. Education, health care and other social needs were provided by the family

Hunting and Gathering The small groups of people move from place to place in search of food. They pooled their resources and cared for each other.

Aging in Other Places (2) Agricultural Societies Emerged 10,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age when humans were able to settle in one place and accumulate a surplus of food. These societies had a larger population than the Hunting and Gathering societies. In these societies children were raised with morals grounded in religion and were expected to care for their elderly.

Aging in Other Places (3) Industrialization People lived in the Hunting and Gathering and Agricultural Societies until the mid-eighteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century, older people had lost many of the social role they held in the past. Industrialization and rapid social change led to a decline in the value of work experience with older men.

Aging in Other Places (4) Modern Industrial Societies Human beings lived in either hunting and gathering or agricultural societies until the mid-eighteenth century. Three interrelated changes shook the basis of agricultural society at that time: industrialization urbanization demographic transition

Interrelated Changes Industrialization: Older people held jobs in marginal fields such as farming, fishing and mining prior to the nineteenth century. The rise of industry made older peoples’ expertise less relevant. Doctors, planners and welfare experts began to define older people as weak and incompetent. Old age was then defined as a social problem

Interrelated Changes Urbanization: As industrialization became more prevalent so did urbanization. Factories pulled young people off farm lands and into the cities. Factory jobs provided independence from a father’s decision to give over the land. This meant that parents could no longer control the young through the promise of the family’s land. Older people lost the source of their power.

Interrelated Changes Demographic Transition: shows a pattern of population change over the past 250 years: 1600s to 1700s: there were a larger number of older people than in the past. 1700s to 1820: life expectancy began to rise 1820-1960: birth rate began to drop 1960 to present: US has lower birth rate; lower death rate and larger older population than ever before.

Post-industrial Societies Post-industrial societies refers to societies like those of Western Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States. Most people work in the service sector Older people in post-industrial societies benefit from a high standard of living. They are able to find new roles through second careers.

Population Aging Some countries (developed nations) have high portions of elderly: France Sweden United States These countries have seen an increase in their elderly population and their populations will get older in the future.

Population Aging Japan, another developed country, has a large younger population but they have seen a rapid increase in their aging population most recently. Other developing nations like: Africa, Asia and South America already have large numbers of older people. In the year 2000 the world’s largest elderly population was from Asia (54%).

Population Aging It is expected that all developed nations in the world will see an increase in their elderly population by the year 2025 (at least 25% will be over the age of 65). These developing countries will have increased demands put on them as a result of the increase in their elderly populations, i.e. rising health care and pension costs. This might mean a reallocation of funds from some programs or the development of new programs.

Discussion Question What evidence exists for an improvement in the status of older people in postindustrial society? Give specific examples from your everyday life.