Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T02:01:12.829Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Work, Aging, and Risks to Family Life: The Case of Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2015

Simon Biggs ,
Ashley Carr  and
Irja Haapala
Simon Biggs*
Affiliation:
School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Melbourne
Ashley Carr
Affiliation:
School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Melbourne
Irja Haapala
Affiliation:
University of Eastern Finland
*
†La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Simon Biggs, Ph.D. School of Social & Political Sciences 537 John Medley Building University of Melbourne Victoria VIC 3010 Australia (biggss@unimelb.edu.au)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The relationship between work and family is considered with an emphasis on policy solutions. Australian policy is a case example in the context of international trends. A mismatch between policy initiatives and familial and personal priorities constitutes a new social risk associated with demographic and sociocultural development. Contemporary trends, both nationally and internationally, evidence solutions to the “problem of demographic aging” by adopting a form of economic instrumentalism. This restricts legitimate age identities to those associated with work and work-related activity. When applied to family life, such a focus runs the risk of reducing policy interest in intergenerational engagement to unpaid care roles, while personal development and age-related life priorities are ignored. The need for cultural adaptation to population aging is becoming accepted in policy debate and is considered here as an effective response to the personal, social, and economic risks of population aging and associated impacts on family life.

Résumé

Cette étude examine les relations entre le travail et la famille, en mettant l'accent sur les solutions politiques. La politique australienne est l'exemple de cas dans le contexte des tendances internationales. Un désaccord entre les initiatives politiques et les priorités familiales et personnelles représente un nouveau risque social associé à l'évolution démographique et socioculturelle. Les tendances contemporaines, à la fois nationaux et internationaux, montrent des solutions au "problème du vieillissement démographique" en adoptant une forme d'instrumentalisation économique. Cela limite l'identités d'âge légitimes à ceux qui sont associées avec le travail et l'activité liée au travail. Lorsqu'elle est appliqué à la vie de famille, une telle focalisation risque de réduire l'intérêt de la politique en engagement intergénérationnel à des rôles de soins non rémunérés, tandis qu'on ne tient compte du développement personnel et des priorités de la vie liées à l'âge. Le besoin d'une adaptation culturelle au vieillissement démographique est plus acceptée dans le débat politique, et est considéré ici comme une réponse efficace aux risques personnels, sociaux et économiques du vieillissement de la population et les impacts connexes sur la vie familiale.

Keywords

agingfamiliesrisksocial policyworkvieillissmentfamillesrisquepolitique socialetravail
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 34 , Special Issue 3 , September 2015 , pp. 321 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Attias-Donfut, C., & Wolff, F.-C. (2005). Generational memory and family relationships. In Johnson, M. L. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of age and ageing (pp. 443–454). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth. (2009). Who cares...? Report on the inquiry into better support for carers. Canberra, ACT: Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2005). Australian social trends 2005. Cat. no. 4102.0. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2013). Population projections, Australia, 2012 (Base) to 2101. cat. no. 3222.0. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2013). Supporting carers in the workplace: A toolkit, Sydney, NSW: Author.Google Scholar
Deloitte Access Economics and Australian Human Rights Commission. (2012). Increasing participation among older workers: The grey army advances. Report prepared for Australian Human Rights Commission, Deloitte Access Economics, Barton, ACT.Google Scholar
Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC). (2012). Access all ages–older workers and commonwealth laws, final report. ALRC Report 120. ALRC, Sydney, NSW. Retrieved online 7 October 2013 from http://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/access-all-ages-report120.Google Scholar
Bass, S. A., & Caro, F. G. (2001). Productive aging: A conceptual framework. In Morrow-Howell, N., Hinterlong, J., & Sherraden, M. (Eds.), Productive Aging: Concepts and Challenges, Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Bass, S. A., Caro, F. G., & Chen, Y-P. (1993). Achieving a productive aging society. Westport, CT: Auburn House.Google Scholar
Beard, J. R., Biggs, S., Bloom, D. E., Fried, L. P., Hogan, P., & Olshansky, J. (2012). Introduction. In Global Agenda Council on Ageing Society, Global Population Ageing: Peril or Promise. Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland: World Economic Forum.Google Scholar
Bengtson, V. L., & Lowenstein, A. (2003). Global aging and challenges to families. New York, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Bengtson, V. L., & Putney, N. M. (2006). Future “conflicts” across generations and cohorts? In Vincent, J., Phillipson, C., & Downs, M. (Eds.), The futures of old age (pp. 20–29). London, UK: Sage.Google Scholar
Bengtson, V. L., Rosenthal, C., & Burton, L. (1990). Families and aging: Diversity and heterogeneity. In Binstock, R. H., & George, L. K. (Eds.), Handbook of Ageing and the Social Science (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Biggs, S. (2007). Thinking about generations: Conceptual positions and policy implications. Journal of Social Issues, 63(4), 695–711.Google Scholar
Biggs, S., & Kimberley, H. (2013). Adult ageing and social policy: New risks to identity. Social Policy and Society, 12(2), 287–297.Google Scholar
Biggs, S., & Lowenstein, A. (2011). Generational intelligence: A critical approach to age relations. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bonoli, G. (2005). The politics of the new social policies: Providing coverage against new social risks in mature welfare states. Policy & Politics, 33(3), 431–449.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2002). 2002–2003 Budget Paper No. 5, Intergenerational Report 2002–2003, Canberra, ACT: Author. Retrieved online 7 February 2012 from http://archive.treasury.gov.au/igr/igr2010/default.asp.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2007). Intergenerational Report 2007. Canberra, ACT: Author. Retrieved online 4 February 2012 from http://archive.treasury.gov.au/igr/igr2010/default.asp.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2010a). Australia to 2050: Future challenges, intergenerational report 2010. Canberra, ACT: Author. Retrieved 4 February 2012 from http://archive.treasury.gov.au/igr/igr2010/default.asp.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2010b). Australia to 2050: Future challenges, the 2010 intergenerational report overview. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2011a). Realising the economic potential of senior Australians: Changing face of society, first report of the Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2011b) Realising the economic potential of senior Australians: Enabling opportunity, second report of the Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2011c). Realising the economic potential of senior Australians: Turning grey into gold, third report of the Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2011d). National carer strategy. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. Department of Health and Ageing (2012). Living longer. Living better. Canberra, ACT: Author. Retrieved online 20 January 2014 from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-aged-care- reviewmeasures-living.htm. https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/06_2014/a_-_aged_care_in_australia_is_changing.pdf.Google Scholar
Connidis, I. A., & McMullin, J. A. (2002). Sociological ambivalence and family ties: A critical perspective. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 64(3), 558–567.Google Scholar
Council of Australian Governments (COAG). (2009). Investing in the early years – A national early childhood development strategy. Barton, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Daatland, S. O., & Herlofson, K. (2003). Families and welfare state: Substitution or complementarity. In Lowenstein, A., & Ogg, J. (Eds.), OASIS: Old age and autonomy: The role of service systems and intergenerational family solidarity. Final Report, Centre for Research and Study of Ageing, The University of Haifa, Israel, (pp. 281–306). Retrieved online 10 November 2013 from http://www.hioa.no/asset/436/2/436_2.pdf.Google Scholar
Family and Community Development Committee. (2012). Inquiry into opportunities for participation of Victorian seniors. East Melbourne, VIC: Family and Community Development Committee, Parliament House.Google Scholar
Federal Interagency Forum on Age-Related Statistics. (2012). Older Americans 2012: Key indicators of well-being. Washington, DC: Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.Google Scholar
Fine, M., & Glendinning, C. (2005). Dependence, independence or inter-dependence? Revisiting the concepts of ‘care’ and ‘dependency’. Ageing and Society, 25(4), 601–621.Google Scholar
Grenier, A. (2012). Transitions and the lifecourse: Challenging the constructions of ‘growing old’. Bristol, UK: The Policy Press.Google Scholar
Gullette, M. M. (2000). Age studies and cultural studies. In Cole, T. R., Kastenbaum, R., & Ray, R. E. (Eds.), Handbook of the Humanities and Aging. (2nd ed.), pp. 214–234. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Kudrna, G., & Woodland, A. (2011). Economic effects of population growth and ageing in Australia. In Productivity Commission. A ‘Sustainable’ Population? Key Policy Issues, Roundtable Proceedings (pp. 41–56). Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Lassen, A. K., & Moriera, T. (2014). Unmaking old age: Political and cognitive formats of active ageing. Journal of Aging Studies, 30, 33–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lister, R. (2003). Investing in the citizen-workers of the future: Transformations in citizenship and the state under New Labour. Social Policy and Administration, 37(5), 427–443.Google Scholar
Liu, E., & Easthope, H. (2012). Multi-generation households in Australian cities, AHURI Final Report No.181. Melbourne, VIC: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.Google Scholar
Lowenstein, A., Katz, R., Phillips, J., & Bazo, M.-T. (2003). Social policy implications. In Lowenstein, A., & Ogg, J. (Eds.). OASIS – Old Age and Autonomy: The role of service systems and intergenerational family solidarity. Final report. Haifa, Israel: University of Haifa.Google Scholar
Moody, H. R. (1993). Age, productivity, and transcendence. In Bass, S. A., Caro, F. G., & Chen, Y-P. (Eds.), Achieving a productive aging society (pp. 27–40). Westport, CT: Auburn House.Google Scholar
Moulaert, T., & Biggs, S. (2013). International and European policy on work and retirement: Reinventing critical perspectives on active ageing and mature subjectivity. Human Relations, 66(1), 23–43.Google Scholar
Ozanne, E. (2007). Family and intergenerational relations in the long-lived society. In Borowski, A., Encel, S., & Ozanne, E. (Eds.), Longevity and Social Change in Australia. Sydney, NSW: University of New South Wales Press.Google Scholar
Patrick, R. (2012). Work as the primary “duty” of the responsible citizen: A critique of this work-centric approach. People, Place and Policy Online, 6(1), 5–15.Google Scholar
Phillipson, C. (2009). Changing life course transitions: Implications for work and lifelong learning. In Chiva, A., & Manthorpe, J. (Eds.), Older Workers in Europe. pp. 109–125. Maidenhead, England UK; New York: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Pillemer, K., & Suitor, J. J. (2008). Collective ambivalence: Considering new approaches to the complexity of intergenerational relations. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 3B(6), 394–396.Google Scholar
Powell, J. L. (2005). Aging and family policy: A sociological excursion. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 32(2), 63–74.Google Scholar
Powell, J. L., & Biggs, S. (2003). Foucauldian gerontology: A methodology for understanding aging. Electronic Journal of Sociology. Retrieved online 10 November 2013 from http://www.sociology.org/content/vol7.2/03_powell_biggs.html.Google Scholar
Productivity Commission. (2011). Caring for older Australians. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Productivity Commission. (2013). An ageing Australia: Preparing for the future. Productivity Commission Research Paper. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Seike, A., Biggs, S., & Sargent, L. (2012). Organizational adaptation and human resource needs for an ageing population. In Global Agenda Council on Ageing Society, Global Population Ageing: Peril or Promise. Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland: World Economic Forum.Google Scholar
Standing, G. (2011). The Precariat: The new dangerous class. London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic.Google Scholar
Taylor-Gooby, P. (2004). New risks and social change. In Taylor-Gooby, P. (Ed.), New risks, new welfare: The transformation of the European welfare state. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2012). Ageing in the twenty-first century: A celebration and a challenge. New York: UNFPA and London: HelpAge International.Google Scholar
Vickerstaff, S. (2010). Older workers: The ‘unavoidable obligation’ of extending our working lives. Sociology Compass, 4(10), 869–879.Google Scholar
Walker, A. (2009). Commentary: The emergence and application of active aging in Europe. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 21(1), 75–93.Google Scholar
Wenger, G. C. (1984). The supportive network: coping with old age. London, UK: Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Work and Family Policy Roundtable. (2007). 2007 Benchmarks: Work and family policies in election 2007, Sydney, NSW: Work and Family Policy Roundtable. Retrieved 24 June 2015 from http://www.workandfamilypolicyroundtable.org/publications.Google Scholar
Work and Family Policy Roundtable. (2010). 2010 Benchmarks: Work and family policies in election 2010. Sydney, NSW: Work and Family Policy Roundtable. Retrieved 24 June 2015 from http://www.workandfamilypolicyroundtable.org/publications.Google Scholar
Work and Family Policy Roundtable. (2013). Work care & family policies–Election benchmarks 2013. Adelaide, SA: Centre for Work + Life, University of South Australia. Retrieved 24 June 2015 from http://www.workandfamilypolicyroundtable.org/publications.Google Scholar