Perspective Chapter: Social Ageing Challenges Faced by Older Adults Exposed to Conditions of Underdevelopment and Extreme Poverty

Abstract

Ageing is a crucial era at the last stage in the lifespan of human beings, particularly for those who survive and pass through other stages of the life cycle. There has been a considerable increase in the number of people who reach this stage and live longer across the globe. The rampant increase of this population group has yielded unprecedented challenges to the both the developed and underdeveloped world due to the psychological, health, economic and social needs of this population cohort. In most developing countries, these social challenges faced by older the older persons are to a certain extent mitigated by the cohesive structure within the community. However, the social, living arrangements from families and communities that are available to the older population are under threat due ongoing demise in the traditional forms of care is as a result of families having suffered from the impact of social change, including urbanisation, geographical spread, migration, the trend towards nuclear families, and participation of women in the workforce. Ageism as a concept is viewed as the theoretical, policy and practical underpinning for how ageism is perceived and dealt with. The negative stereotypes that often shape the theoretical framework with regard to ageism is the root cause of negative attributes associated with ageing. This chapter therefore, concludes with the key recommendation that governments from the developing economies should strive towards development of policies for the protection of advancement of the wellbeing of older population and make resources available for the implementation of the policies.

Exploring Sustainability Challenges of Government-Funded Community Projects in South Africa

“…In another study, it was study found that the primary factor contributing to the issues affecting the long-term viability of the project was the absence of adequate planning [8]. In a similar vein, authors identified inadequate planning as a significant element leading to the downfall of numerous cooperatives within the context of South Africa [9].…”

“…Despite the allocation of financial resources by governmental bodies and donors towards cooperatives, certain individuals within these cooperatives tend to prioritise personal self-interests that diverge from the overarching objectives of sustainable projects. A study conducted in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa revealed that one of the significant challenges affecting the sustainability of these cooperatives was the lack of commitment, as evidenced by high levels of absenteeism among cooperative members [9]. Authors have found lack of adequate sacrifice from certain cooperative members has been identified as a primary factor contributing to the unsustainability of the cooperative [10][11][12].…”

“…Similarly, a significant presence of informality in the execution of everyday operations within the cooperative was observed, resulting in subpar project outcomes [8]. Inadequate planning was identified as a significant factor that contributed to the downfall of numerous cooperatives in South Africa [9]. The primary cause of cooperative project failure has also been attributed to deficiencies in leadership competencies in cooperative management [13].…”