This volume tackles a number of popular misconceptions about the social and economic impact of an aging population. It emphasizes the specific demographic and policy changes taking place in Canada and focuses on trends in social policy that affect pensions, healthcare, and retirement. It provides a critical look at how an apocalyptic approach to the aging population is being used by the conservative parties to dismantle the Canadian welfare state. It also examines the many ways in which intergenerational relationships are changing and challenges the popular image of the elderly population as a burden on the younger generations.
This volume tackles a number of popular misconceptions about the social and economic impact of an aging population. It emphasizes the specific demographic and policy changes taking place in Canada and focuses on trends in social policy that affect pensions, healthcare, and retirement. It provides a critical look at how an apocalyptic approach to the aging population is being used by the conservative parties to dismantle the Canadian welfare state. It also examines the many ways in which intergenerational relationships are changing and challenges the popular image of the elderly population as a burden on the younger generations.
With its implications for health care, the economy, and an assortment of other policy areas, population aging is one of the most pressing issues facing governments and society today, and confronting its complex reality is becoming increasingly urgent, particularly in the age of COVID-19. In The Four Lenses of Population Aging, Patrik Marier looks at how Canada’s ten provinces are preparing for an aging society. Focusing on a wide range of administrative and policy challenges, this analysis explores multiple actions from the development of strategic plans to the expansion of long-term care capacity. To enhance this analysis, Marier adopts four lenses: the intergenerational, the medical, the social gerontological, and the organizational. By comparing the unique insights and contributions of each lens, Marier draws attention to the vital lessons and possible solutions to the challenges of an aging society. Drawing on over a hundred interviews with senior civil servants and thousands of policy documents, The Four Lenses of Population Aging is a significant contribution to public administration, provincial politics, and comparative public policy literatures, and a timely resource for policymakers and general readers seeking an informed perspective on a timely and important issue.
The International Handbook of Population Aging examines research on a wide array of the profound implications of population aging. It demonstrates how the world is changing through population aging, and how demography is changing in response to it.
Contributors question whether an aging society is necessarily inferior or problematic compared with the recent past, cautioning that exaggerated concerns about population aging can be harmful to rational policy making.
Canadian society is rapidly changing. This concise, up-to-date volume masterfully captures this change. Edited by two of Canada's leading demographers, Roderic Beaujot and Don Kerr, this book is an exciting entry in Canadian population studies, drawing from a variety of disciplines, including sociology, geography, economics, history, and epidemiology. The Changing Face of Canada is an essential text for demography courses across the country. Each reading has been meticulously edited and concisely ordered into five essential sections: fertility mortality international migration, domestic migration and population distribution population aging population composition Vital issues include: the role of immigration in Canada's future; the deteriorating economic welfare of immigrants; globalization, undocumented migration, and unwanted refugees; Aboriginal population change; implications of unprecedented low fertility; and the astonishing demographic transformation of Canadian cities.
Global aging, technological advances, and financial pressures on health and pension systems are sure to influence future patterns of work and retirement. This handbook offers an international, multi-disciplinary perspective, examining the aging workforce from an individual worker, organization, and societal perspective.
This comprehensive text focuses on the social contexts of ageing, looking at the diversity of ageing and older people, and at different factors that are important to experiences of old age and ageing. It includes key chapters on: theoretical and methodological bases for the study of ageing demographic context of the 'ageing' population health and illness family and social networks formal and informal care and other services for older people. Providing an invaluable introduction to the major issues involved in the study of ageing, this book is essential reading for students of sociology, gerontology, social policy, health and social care, and professionals working with older people.
Philip Taylor has produced an important and excellent edited collection on a topic of immediate and ongoing relevance. . . The case studies presented in this collection are highly accessible and rich in detail, and provide comprehensive and interesting analyses of ageing labour forces. The book challenges myths and oft-accepted statements made by policy-makers and other commentators about population ageing, older workers position in the labour market and in workplaces, and social supports for this segment of the labour force. In addition, the volume demonstrates the strength of the case study methodology in helping us to better understand social structures and relations. Of particular value is that the contributions are from researchers from varied disciplines across advanced industrialized countries. . . this collection is highly valuable for policy-makers, employers, unionists, and academics, and should not be ignored. Vivian Shalla, Labour/LeTravail This book makes an important contribution to the policy debate about age and the workforce, and will be valuable both to academic researchers interested in the labour market and ageing policy, and to policymakers who wish to understand the diversity of national approaches to a shared agenda. . . This book sheds new light on the differences between countries approaches to the common policy issues, and highlights some of the issues which policy needs to address. Taylor s overarching argument that we should be cautious about making over-positive assumptions about the benefits of extending working life is timely. Stephen McNair, Ageing and Society The book is extremely valuable for policy makers, labour market and welfare (pensions) experts and the social partners, because it contains a comprehensive analysis of the legal, institutional, welfare and employment policy developments over the past few decades in the eight countries. It offers policy guidance and examples of good practices for dealing with an ageing workforce, but also showing the adverse effects of well-intentioned policies and legislation. Hedva Sarfati, Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations Ageing Labour Forces is a provocative work, which will appeal to academics and researches interested in work, ageing and public policy, as well as labour economics. SirReadaLot.org This provocative book considers the changing status of older workers, the evolution of public policy on age and work and the behaviour of employers. It attempts to answer the critical question: in an ageing society, can older workers look forward to the prospect of longer working lives with choice and security and make successful transitions to retirement? Ageing Labour Forces challenges the current stance of many governments and observers concerning policies to extend working lives. It utilises perspectives and case studies from public policy, employment policy and the attitudes and behaviour of older people. Philip Taylor argues that older workers have been at the forefront of industrialized society's efforts to respond to the crisis facing social welfare systems and the economic threats associated with population ageing. Their involvement has forced the restructuring of economies, adjustments to social welfare systems as well as redefinitions to the actual concept of old age. Containing contributions from leading researchers in a number of countries, this work will appeal to academics and researchers interested in work, ageing and public policy as well as labour economics.
With the help of medicine and technology we are living longer than ever before. As human life spans have increased, the moral and political issues surrounding longevity have become more complex. Should we desire to live as long as possible? What are the social ramifications of longer lives? How does a longer life span change the way we think about the value of our lives and about death and dying? Christine Overall offers a clear and intelligent discussion of the philosophical and cultural issues surrounding this difficult and often emotionally charged issue. Her book is unique in its comprehensive presentation and evaluation of the arguments—both ancient and contemporary—for and against prolonging life. It also proposes a progressive social policy for responding to dramatic increases in life expectancy. Writing from a feminist perspective, Overall highlights the ways that our biases about race, class, and gender have affected our views of elderly people and longevity, and her policy recommendations represent an effort to overcome these biases. She also covers the arguments surrounding the question of the "duty to die" and includes a provocative discussion of immortality. After judiciously weighing the benefits and the risks of prolonging human life, Overall persuasively concludes that the length of life does matter and that its duration can make a difference to the quality and value of our lives. Her book will be an essential guide as we consider our social responsibilities, the meaning of human life, and the prospects of living longer.
