Coming of Age: exploring ageing in culture and society and investigating how public policy should respond to the challenges posed by the ageing society
| Title | Coming of Age: exploring ageing in culture and society and investigating how public policy should respond to the challenges posed by the ageing society |
| Author(s) | Louise Bazalgette, Philip Tew, John Holden, Nick Hubble, Jago Morrison |
| Organisation | DEMOS |
| Date | 07-April-2011 |
| No. of pages | 210 |
| Key words | older learners; employment; adult learning; adult education; libraries; museums; volunteering; disability; health; transport; poverty; family networks |
| Description | Drawing on the Mass Observation project, one of the longest-running longitudinal life-writing projects anywhere in the world, this research grounds public policy in people’s real, lived experiences of ageing. |
| Select quotations | “People were positive about working in later life as long as the demands of the job continued to be appropriate to the individual’s capabilities.” “…most saw retirement as a time to remain active and socially engaged. They expected that retirement would provide increased opportunities for leisure, self-development and new projects. Participants who have poorer health valued being able to take part in intellectual and social activities, as opposed to more physical activities.” “Participants in the study thought it very important for older people to have opportunities for learning and cultural engagement, with adult learning opportunities and universal services such as libraries and museums playing a central role in improving their quality of life. They thought volunteering was an important means for older people to continue to contribute to society, while public spaces and facilities such as leisure centres provided valuable opportunities for intergenerational contact. They believed transport concessions such as the free bus pass were vital to help older people to remain mobile and socially active.” Key policy directions should include: - “Flexible jobs for older workers
- Reducing complexity in the state pensions system and tackling pensioner poverty
- Better targeting of winter fuel payments
- A diversity of service provision to support ‘active ageing’
- An intergenerational approach to local service delivery.”
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| Link | www.demos.co.uk/files/Coming_of_Age_-_web.pdf?1302099024 |
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