AGEING AND DEVELOPMENT - Development Geography - page 193

key points

• The older population (defined as those aged 60 years or over) is
increasing rapidly globally due to sustained gains in longevity and
declines in fertility. The dynamics of population ageing differ within
and between countries and world regions, representing a consider-
able challenge to development in the global South.
• The well-being of older people and their participation in develop-
ment processes have largely been neglected to date. Neoliberal
development agendas fail to acknowledge the significant contribu-
tions that older people make to their families and communities.
• A life-course approach reveals the relational nature of age and is
useful in analysing the complex transitions and life-phases that
individuals experience over time.
• The generational bargain that the most economically active 'middle
generation' will provide care and support the young and old is com-
ing under pressure in many countries in the global South due to a
range of global processes.
• UN discourses on older people have shifted from a welfare approach
to an 'active ageing' approach that seeks to enhance the opportuni-
ties for older people to contribute to development and move towards
a 'society for all ages'.

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further reading

The collection edited by Peter Lloyd-Sherlock Living Longer: Ageing,
Development and Social Protection (2004) provides a comprehensive
introduction to debates on ageing and development, with chapters
covering a wide range of country contexts, including Brazil, China, South
Africa, Ghana, Argentina, Mexico and Thailand. Isabella Aboderin's
short essay in Desai and Potter's The Companion to Development
Studies (2008) provides a useful overview of ageing and development
debates. Jason Powell's 2010 article in Ageing International discusses
the phenomenon of global ageing and the social and economic pro-
cesses influencing this from a regional perspective. Hopkins and Pain's
2007 article in Area provides a helpful discussion about relational
approaches to age and the life-course.