Ageing in Southern Europe. Emerging Perspectives and Challenges for Sociology

Abstract

The process of transitioning to an ageing population has occurred later, but nevertheless more intensely, in Southern Europe than in other regions. Consequently, these countries have been forced to politically, socially and economically adapt to this significant challenge. Sociologists play an important role in identifying and understanding social trends and issues, as well as in contributing to the design of public policies across Europe. However, research has tended to explore issues of ageing populations in Northern Europe, in spite of the notable demographic shifts and contextual specificities of Southern Europe. In response, this study has a dual objective: first, to collect the theoretical and methodological contributions of authors from or focusing on Southern Europe, and second to explore the originality of studies that belong to Southern European sociological traditions. In order to systematise the study, the theoretical paradigm of Marshall’s classification of social science theories in the field of ageing is used. Specifically, the present study incorporates the topics of active ageing, adult education and ageing at work as the main foci of analysis. The results of this theoretical study show that the sociology of Southern Europe can contribute significantly both to the issue of ageing and to public policies for its management, in the process providing a more holistic and human-centred approach.

Adult Training as a Quality Factor in Work Trajectory: Positive Effects of Adult Training on Seniority and Ageing at Work

“…As specified, we tested other models in which workplace learning was considered exclusively, but with a much less optimal fit. This reaffirms the idea that lifelong learning brings tangible personal and socio-occupational benefits for workers, and this is true to an even greater extent if we take the age factor into account (Desjardins, 2019;Marcaletti et al, 2020). Thus, following Stern and Spokus (2019), learning new information and skills to keep up-to-date with changes in daily activities and on the job is a necessary challenge throughout life.…”

“…Therefore, although Spanish policymakers have paid little attention to this issue (Marcaletti et al, 2020), the battle against the high degree of unemployment in the older sectors of the labor force caused by the ongoing crisis, along with the need to maintain a productive and motivated older workforce, have inevitably become areas of tension in external and internal labor markets. Spanish work organizations are aware of this situation and regard it with a certain amount of concern.…”

Intergenerational contact and solidarity, inside and outside the family: patterns in Spain

“…Mediterranean countries are also showing clear evidence of demographic ageing (Marcaletti et al , 2020). For example, in Spain the proportion of persons aged 65 and over in the total population reached 19.2 per cent in 2018 (Eurostat, 2019 a ), close to the European Union average; a decade earlier this was 16.4 per cent.…”