Roman Age Structure: Evidence and Models

2001 ◽  
Vol 91 ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Scheidel
Keyword(s):  
Age Structure ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Average Life Expectancy ◽  
Specific Distribution ◽  
The Status ◽  
To Come

For many Romans, life was short. In consequence, the young greatly outnumbered the elderly. Historians have long accepted these basic truths, even if they are only beginning to come to terms with the social implications of an alien demographic regime. But how short is ‘short’, and how many Romans were children, how many adults? Does it matter, and can we know?The importance of demographic structure is not in doubt. High mortality causes scarce energy resources to be wasted in pregnancies and nursing, and poses a disincentive to investment in education. It destabilizes families and households, exposes orphans and widows to risk and potential hardship, and shortens the time-horizons of economic activity. In the long term, average life expectancy is the principal determinant of fertility. Poor chances of survival trigger high birth rates to ensure genetic survival. High fertility, in turn, is negatively correlated with the status and well-being of women, and constrains female participation in economic and public affairs. Overall age structure, in conjunction with cultural practices from marriage to child care, determines the prevalence of orphans and widows, and affects the age-specific distribution of fertility. In sum, age structure is instrumental in framing and shaping expectations and experiences. For this reason alone, our understanding of life in the Roman world is critically dependent on our knowledge of demographic conditions.

The Structured Dependence of the Elderly as a Recent Development: Some Sceptical Historical Thoughts

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Population History ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
North West ◽  
Kinship System ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of

ABSTRACTThere has recently emerged in the writings of those who have adopted an overtly ‘radical’ approach to social work and the welfare state, a coherent interpretation of how the status of older persons is lowered in the course of the development of industrial capitalism. The focus in these recent writings is on the social creation of dependent status and the structural determinants of the competitive relationship between elderly individuals and younger adults in the labour market. This paper reviews the arguments of this school of thought arguing firstly that it fails to take sufficient account of the longer term population history of England, suggesting that the contrast between the middle and later twentieth century and the nineteenth century is apparently so marked largely because of the atypicality of the latter period when high fertility and rapid demographic growth produced an historical minimum for the proportion of the elderly in the total population. A second failure in this recent radical or marxist research is that it also does not take sufficient account of the kinship system in north west Europe which appears to have created a situation of structured dependency of the elderly on the collectivity irrespective of the specific mode of production. Pre-industrial north west Europeans exhibited a striking contrast in this particular cultural trait with many, indeed most non-industrial societies outside Western Europe or regions populated by emmigrants from that area.

scholarly journals Being treated like ‘waste’ during the ‘golden years’: Practical-theological perspectives

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petria M. Theron
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
South African ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The South ◽  
The Status ◽  
African Context ◽  
Practical Theological

The South African Government published the Older Persons Act no. 13 of 2006. The objectives of the Act are inter alia to maintain and promote the status, well-being, safety and security of older persons, to maintain and protect their rights and to combat abuse of older persons. This act is indispensable, as the elderly (people of 65 and older) form a growing segment of the South African population (4.767% in 1996 − 5.019% in 2011). They are in many regards extremely vulnerable, as they often face negative views regarding older people, experience discrimination, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Many atrocities are committed against them and one hears horror stories of older people who are abused and/or neglected by their own children and/or other people. One could almost say that these people, during their so-called ‘golden years’, are treated like ‘human waste’. I will investigate this phenomenon and attempt to interpret it within the South African context. I will then identify certain biblical guidelines to orientate one’s attitude towards old age and the elderly. To conclude, I will propose strategies to prevent elder abuse and restore human dignity to them.

scholarly journals Ageing and social policies in times of crisis

1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Capucha
Keyword(s):  
Age Structure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
The State ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
Pension Systems ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
The Relationship

The ageing of the populations at the top of the age structure is a result of the relationship between social policies and longevity, and is posing new challenges to the sustainability of health and pension systems. The response to these challenges has been taking the shape of austerity policies that are not sparing the elderly. This backwards step in the quality of social policies has been degrading people’s living conditions and harming their rights, without resolving the problem of how to finance the state. An alternative may entail reforms that see the state as an investment and a factor for growth and well-being.

A survey of assistive robots and systems for elderly care

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthik Kumar Santhanaraj ◽  
Ramya M.M. ◽  
Dinakaran D.
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Holistic Care ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Aged People ◽  
To Come

Purpose The rousing phenomenon of the ageing population is becoming a vital issue and demanding fulminant actions. Population ageing is a resultant of the enhanced health-care system, groovy antibiotics, medications and economic well-being. Old age leads to copious amounts of ailments. Aged people, owing to their reduced mobility and enervating disabilities, tend to rely upon caretakers and/or nursing personnel. With the increasing vogue of nuclear families in the society, the elderly are at the risk of being unveiled to emotional, physical and fiscal insecurities in the years to come. Caring for those seniors will be an enormous undertaking. Design/methodology/approach There is a dire need for an intelligent assistive system to meet out the requirements of continuous holistic care and monitoring. Assistive robots and systems used for elderly care are studied. The design motivation for the robots, elderly–robot interaction capabilities and technology incorporated in the systems are examined meticulously. Findings From the survey, it is suggested that the subsystems of an assistive robot revamped for better human–machine interactions will be a potential alternative to the human counterpart. Affirmable advancements in the robot design and interaction methodologies that would increase the holistic care and assistance for aged people are analyzed and listed. Originality/value This paper reviews the available assistive technologies and suggests a synergistic model that can be adopted for the caring of the elderly.

scholarly journals Quality of Life for a Sample of Adults in Jordan in the Presence of the Corona Pandemic: جودة الحياة لدى عينة من الراشدين في الأردن في ظل جائحة كورونا

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (37) ◽  
pp. 143-127
Author(s):  
Maysaa Ahmad Altareefi, Mahmoud Haroun Alnaimat Maysaa Ahmad Altareefi, Mahmoud Haroun Alnaimat
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Total Degree ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The Status

This study aimed to identify the level of quality of life for a sample of adults in Jordan in the presence of the corona pandemic, where the two researchers used the descriptive approach, both analytical and correlational, the study sample consisted of (285) adults who were selected in a simple random way. The results showed that the quality of life of the sample was average, and indicated that there are apparent differences between the arithmetic averages in the quality of life of the sample according to gender, age and marital status, and the absence of statistically significant differences in degree The total quality of life of the sample in light of the Corona pandemic and its dimensions attributable to gender, the existence of differences in the dimension of (social life) and in favor of females, the existence of differences in the total degree of the level of quality of life of the sample in light of the Corona pandemic and its dimensions attributable to the social situation in favor of singles, and the existence of differences in the total degree of the level of The quality of life is attributed to age in favor of those of their ages (18-30 years), that is, young people feel more of a quality of life, and the researchers recommended several results, including the status of The necessary support mechanisms to mitigate the negative effects of the Corona crisis on health and well-being, especially for the elderly.

Globalization, Gender, and Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phyllis L. Baker ◽  
Kevin T. Leicht
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Sunk Costs ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Honor Killings ◽  
International Media ◽  
The Status ◽  
Changing Roles ◽  
To Come ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Status Of Women

Research and policy analysis on gender, development, and globalization have focused extensively on the changing roles and social status of women as one of the keys to reaching global development goals and improving social well-being. Yet at the same time as scholars and advocates highlight the importance of women's autonomy as a key to economic development, the international media are filled with tales and reports of public gang rapes, acid burnings, honor killings, and gang kidnapping and enslavement. We combine observations about growing class inequality among men, theories of male overcompensation, insights on the global crisis of patriarchy, and transaction-cost analyses of asset specificity and sunk costs to explain this gender-based violence. The data required to assess the causes, prevalence, and effects of public gender-based violence are sparse, and this affects our ability to come to definitive conclusions and policy recommendations. In addition to recommending better and more vigorous data collection on public gender-based violence directed at women and girls, we briefly discuss two possible scenarios that could frustrate attempts to improve the status of women in rapidly developing societies or lead to long-term, sustainable gains.

Prospective Memory Development Across the Lifespan

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sascha Zuber ◽  
Matthias Kliegel
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Present Model ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Integrative Framework

Abstract. Prospective Memory (PM; i.e., the ability to remember to perform planned tasks) represents a key proxy of healthy aging, as it relates to older adults’ everyday functioning, autonomy, and personal well-being. The current review illustrates how PM performance develops across the lifespan and how multiple cognitive and non-cognitive factors influence this trajectory. Further, a new, integrative framework is presented, detailing how those processes interplay in retrieving and executing delayed intentions. Specifically, while most previous models have focused on memory processes, the present model focuses on the role of executive functioning in PM and its development across the lifespan. Finally, a practical outlook is presented, suggesting how the current knowledge can be applied in geriatrics and geropsychology to promote healthy aging by maintaining prospective abilities in the elderly.

Association Between Cognitive Resource and Psychological Well-Being in the Elderly

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuyuki Gondo ◽  
Yukie Masui ◽  
Hiroki Inagaki ◽  
Takeshi Nakagawa
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Resource

Senior Living - Lighting, Circadian Rhythm and Dementia I

2019 ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
Tadej Glažar ◽  
Marjeta Zupancic ◽  
Samo Kralj ◽  
Robert Peternelj
Keyword(s):  
The Elderly ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Light Spectrum ◽  
Average Life Expectancy ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
Lighting Conditions ◽  
Light Levels ◽  
Joint Fracture ◽  
Lease Contracts

The Real Estate Fund of Pension and Disability Insurance (Nepremicninski Sklad) in Slovenia, founded in1997 is the owner of 3255 properties in 116 locations throughout the country and is intended for solving housing issues of pensioners of 65 years or older and other elderly persons who are allowed independently to live. The lease contracts are concluded for an indefinite period of time. The aim and vision of the Fund is to improve the quality of life for the elderly tenants by adapting the living environment, the flats and surroundings according to the physical needs of aging tenants. Homes for seniors often have low light levels and poor light spectrum caused by fluorescent or incandescent lighting. Demographic changes in most European countries show rising average life expectancy which means that the number of people with weak visual capacity or visual impairment is increasing. Equally the risks of injuries due to poor lighting conditions are increasing, e.g. missing a step resulting in a hip joint fracture. Better lighting conditions are of critical importance for aging population, as stated also in the recently published CIE227:2017. To facilitate safe environment for the elderly, the Fund in 2013 initiated a lighting research study that should provide facts and evidence for a lighting standard for their own premises.

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