A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper stems from a Marie Curie EU-FP7-International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES) [295203], concerning ten EU and non-EU countries, which sought to examine the role of social work and its engagement with civil society in supporting vulnerable members of the community. The project is being undertaken under the auspices of an EU Framework 7Marie Curie, IRSES; project no: 318938; project acronym: NL_CIVIL.
ABSTRACTIn Portugal, Spain and South Africa, there has been a noted anti-neoliberal resistance, marked by the significant participation of the older generation in protest movements. Changing demographics, the global financial crisis, unemployment, poverty, and the reliance of the family nucleus on the pensioner, coupled with neoliberal and austerity-based reductions to welfare programmes, pensions, health, and social care, has caused the "silver revolution". As a population group that is often considered to be less politically active and robust members of society, such resistance is a noteworthy moment in society that needs to be considered and responded to.