Marginalisation and stereotypes relating to the elderly in the context of social changes and family problems. Generation gap and methods of prevention in Poland

Abstract

Objectives The general aim of the present study is the sociological conceptualization of the problem of social marginalization and stereotypes relating to old people by the analysis of the “generation gap”, its factors and indicators as well as presentation of methods which may help counteract the exclusion and perception of such people under false, widely-held opinions. Material and methods Present social change in Poland was analyzed based on the European Social Survey 10 (ESS 10) data (created, selected subset containing style of life variables, health variables, satisfaction of life variables, economic and “everyday life variables” – certain kind of subjective well being index). The study also brings up the issues relating to offers of Universities of the Third Age (UTA) an the other institutions (case studies) as the ways to counteract the marginalization of old people. Results Subjective general state of health deteriorates by 26,6% (from the youngest respondents to the oldest age group). Paradoxically, also with age, the satisfaction of life increases by 6,9%. Next it should be stated that the perception of emotional, interpersonal relationships as the stable relationships, not flexible, based also on the traditional values and traditional way of defining the family, is negatively correlated with the age of individual (r=-0,319). It means that the gap between young and old generations is clearly noticeable and young age of individual influences on the contestation of the role of stable, emotional relationships and family in more than 10 percent (r²=0,101). Conclusions The present strategies of counteracting the social exclusions of elderly are effective strictly among them but are not effective in the context of the need of wider reconstruction of the social ties in the intergenerational perspective.

Keywords

• family
• prevention
• stereotypes
• social change
• marginalization
• old people
• generation gap