Промена парадигме о демографском старењу
Changing the Paradigm of Demographic Ageing

Author(s): Mirjana Devedžić
Subject(s): Demography and human biology, Nationalism Studies, Rural and urban sociology
Published by: Институт друштвених наука
Keywords: demographic ageing; paradigm; change; active ageing
Summary/Abstract: Demographic ageing is a universal process that transforms the society. Although considered a civilization's achievement, since it has caused the decrease of mortality and unwanted fertility, it generates a number of social "disorders" that require radical solutions. The controversy of the causes and effects of population ageing is also additionally stirred up by the incongruity between the pace of the processes that influence it and the demographic ageing process itself, which is very intense, especially in the developed world. As a result, demographic ageing is referred to as a revolution, although a silent one. Experts have labelled it as the most challenging demographic phenomenon in the 21st century, a process that changes the world.Population ageing is a relatively recent phenomenon, although reflections about old age have always existed. The models on which the society's treatment of the elderly has been based have developed pragmatically, mostly as a spontaneous response to specific circumstances. History has shown that age-related behaviour is ambivalent, depending on social and historical circumstances. Thus, there have been many examples of appreciation of seniors, but also of sacrificing them. The industrial society has reduced the authority of seniors by specifying the age at which they are to withdraw from activity. Therefore, old age is perceived as a weakness, social isolation and passivity. This stereotype has been the basis for the dominant paradigm of old age and ageing, which is focused on taking care of the elderly. With the increase of elderly people's share in the total population and the ever-increasing age imbalances, such a paradigm has become unsustainable. It has caused increased public expenditures and has hindered the functioning of the social and economic systems.The new active ageing paradigm was officially promoted in the early 21st century and is based on the recognition of the potential of the elderly, the respect of their knowledge, skills and competences. It is implemented at both the collective and individual levels and advocates an active attitude towards life. It is founded on the belief that older people today are not the same as they were the past, that they have greater vitality and different lifestyles. The old population is not a homogeneous group; it consists of many generations that have shaped their attitudes, including towards old age, under various life circumstances. This is especially important when the largest baby boomer generation becomes a part of the elderly population cohort, carrying the label of an optimistic generation. Hence, active ageing is an adequate policy response to contemporary ageing trends and characteristics of seniors, and the early decades of the 21st century are the right time to create a stimulating environment for the implementation of the new paradigm.The change in the paradigm was inevitable. This is indicated by numerous demographic arguments. The estimated increase of the share of people over 65 years of age is particularly high in Europe (from 18.2% in 2017 to 27.8% in 2050). The population over the age of 80 will double its size in the same period (their share will increase from 5% to 10%). In Serbia, which is one of the oldest European countries, seniors in 2017 already account for 19.2% of the total population and exceed the number of youth aged under 15 years by 22%. The implementation of the active ageing paradigm becomes a necessity, in order to create the conditions for sustainable development in spite of the generational imbalances.The concept of active ageing has evolved from a good idea (insufficiently articulated and subject to different interpretations) to an efficient mechanism for creating an all-generations-friendly society. During that transition, the new paradigm has been interpreted in various ways: sometimes as productive ageing, sometimes as healthy and successful ageing. The traps of misinterpretation are in the assumptions that health and physical activity are preconditions for active ageing. This has created excuses for new forms of exclusion of the elderly, especially those who are ill or in the fourth age. The proper interpretation of the new paradigm entails all forms of social inclusion of seniors of all ages, which contribute to the personal well-being and well-being of the society, in line with their abilities and affinities. It seems that the fundamental prerequisite for active ageing is the building of a humane society, education that promotes intergenerational connectivity, and prepares and motivates people for a quality life in the old age. The ultimate outcome is social cohesion of all age groups.The change of the paradigm has taken place on several tracks and it can be considered from several perspectives. For the change to happen, it has been necessary to redefine old age from being a period characterized by passivity to an age that has the potential for activity; to make a transition from thinking about the old age to thinking about ageing; to acknowledge the increasing age diversity among the seniors. One way of looking at this also poses dilemmas about the coexistence of the old and the new paradigm, and the question of whether the old paradigm is only sliding towards the fourth age. Finally, a more complex insight into the paradigm shift shows that the affirmation of seniors in the context of active ageing has resulted in a parabolic path of their status in the society. The pre-industrial and the forthcoming more developed post-industrial societies are characterized by a greater degree of social inclusion of the elderly (the beginning and the end of the parabola), whereas as the period in between (and the central part of the curve) treated old age as a social category and a criterion by which the society is divided.

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