The Role of Employers on the Labour Market in Bulgaria

Author(s): Rumyana Stoilova,Veneta Krasteva,Gabriela Yordanova / Language(s): English Issue: Special/2017

: The article offers a comparison between young persons’ assessments of the difficulties encountered when seeking employment and employers’ assessments of the difficulty to find suitable employees. The authors use a mixed methods approach, which involves interpreting quantitative data obtained from online questionnaires for employers, and a qualitative method, consisting in interviews with young people, conducted in 2016 in the framework of the international project Negotiate. The study registers a shortage of staff in five sectors of employment in Bulgaria, together with the presence of attitudes, among those selecting people for recruitment, which limit the potential circle of candidates for job openings on the basis of ethnic origin. Frequent change of jobs is assessed by young employment candidates as being a possibility for obtaining additional experience, but is seen by employers as a scarring signal that has greater negative weight than the periods of unemployment in the candidate’s CV. Establishing a greater congruity between the expectations of employers and of young candidates for jobs provides a significant possibility for reducing youth unemployment and compensating for the shortage of staff. This congruity is connected with the young persons’ level and profile of education attained when leaving high school and university, to the specific actions they undertake in the transition from education to employment (where it is better to avoid frequent changes of jobs), to a rejection of negative ethnicity-based or age-based stereotypes on the part of employers, and to wage levels, offered by employers, that will meet the expectations of young people.

Türkiye’de Demografik Dönüşüm ve Yaşlı İşçiler

Author(s): Umut Ulukan / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 1/2020

Turkey has been facing the challenge of an population ageing due to low fertility and mortality rates in the recent years. However studies on ageing and ageing issues in Turkey, in particular in the social sciences literature, are limited. This study focuses on the increasing employment of elderly people with the aging of the population and the phenomenon of older workers in the labor markets. First current demographic transition process and population ageing charateristics in Turkey are discussed. Secondly the main features of elderly employment are analysed. Then fundamental changes of the elderly employment in Turkey –such as the working conditions of older workers, the sectoral distribution of elderly employment, gender inequality, poverty and social insecurity, occupational health issues- over the last decades are examined. Finally, this paper try to identify the main trends of the elderly employment which is expecting to increase in the coming years in Turkey.

Budownictwo senioralne szansą dla polskich przedsiębiorstw

Author(s): Teresa Słaby / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2018

The article presents selected results of research on the needs of 60+ people in Poland in the field of senior housing, the results of which may be a valuable source of information for Polish entrepreneurs, in particular from the construction industry. The author was a member of the team that carried out a quantitative and qualitative studies ordered by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction in 2017. Information about the needs and preferences of older people may enable entrepreneurs to act for broadly understood non-material goods and services in the housing market. Building investors at various levels of activity can implement solutions for facilities in already existing housing infrastructure to completely new projects. compatible with the needs and preferences of Polish seniors.

The future of long-term care in ten European countries: Review of policy reports and qualitative study among country experts

Author(s): Lena Praznovszky,Milena Pavlova,Marzena Tambor,Wim Groot / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2019

The provision of good quality long-term care to citizens represents a challenge for many European countries due to tight public budgets and ongoing societal transitions. To gain insights on the future of long-term care in Europe, an explorative study was conducted consisting of a review of policy reports and qualitative study among country experts from Albania, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. For the purpose of the analysis, a conceptual framework was developed. Based on this framework, the method of qualitative directed content analysis was applied to extract and analyze information from the reports and study transcripts. The results suggest four key directions for long-term care development: (a) integration, coordination and cooperation across structures and actors for better service quality; (b) increased scope and scale of formal service provision; (c) improved workforce planning and capacity building; (d) use of e-health and information technologies. The exact direction is however dependent on the country-specific guiding principles, governance capacity and funding constraints. To adequately respond to current challenges, policy-makers need to acknowledge the interconnectedness of long-term care issues and approach them from a more holistic perspective.

Długowieczność i zmiany maksymalnego trwania życia — wyzwania dla statystyki

Author(s): Wiktoria Wróblewska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 11/2012

The paper presents the changes that have taken place since the mid-nineteenth century to the maximum expected life expectancy and longevity in the world. In particular, there are discussed the limits of life achieved by the longest living people with proven longevity and the discussion that takes place in the literature on the prospects for further increases in life expectancy. On the example, of the “blue zone” author describes the state of knowledge in the field of behavioral causes of longevity. The summary highlights the challenges for the statistics resulting from change in life expectancy and longevity.

Druhý pilier starobného dôchodkového sporenia v Slovenskej republike a jeho výkonnosť v roku 2019

Author(s): Richard Geffert / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 2/2020

The issue of old-age pensions is a sensitive topic in every country and at any time, as it concerns one of the most vulnerable social groups, namely old-age pensioners. In every politically advanced and democratic rule of law there is a different model of the old-age pension system that is implemented in relation to its population. The aim of the paper is to identify efficiency II. pension pillar of old-age pension savings in the calendar year 2019 in the Slovak Republic.

ОДГОВОРОТ НА КОВИД-19 ВО РЕЗИДЕНЦИЈАЛНАТА ДОЛГОРОЧНА НЕГА ВО ПОЛСКА: ШТО Е НАПРАВЕНО ЗА ПОДОБРУВАЊЕ НА БЕЗБЕДНОСТА НА ПОСТАРИТЕ ЛИЦА

Author(s): Agnieszka Sowa-Kofta / Language(s): English,Macedonian Issue: 16/2020

Normativity and the Aging Self: “Active Longevity” Media Discourse in Contemporary Russia

Author(s): Aliia Nizamova / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2020

This article explores the normative understandings of older adults, old age, and aging as they are articulated in the mainstream media’s discourse on “successful aging” and “active longevity” in contemporary Russia. I draw on critical gerontological approach and critical discourse analysis to examine the articles published in 2016–2018 in one of the most popular Russian weekly newspapers, Argumenty i Fakty (Arguments and Facts), which actively engages in discussions of “activity,” “longevity,” and “success” in later life. This article traces the consumerist logic behind the “successful aging” discourse, which takes the notion of “success” as a matter of lifestyle that can be maintained through individual’s voluntary reflexive participation in consumerist practices and, thus, ignores the social-structural factors affecting this process. The aging subject is invited to engage with the “successful aging” ideal and express their “reflexive” self through the practices of “managing” health and longevity, appearance and embodiment, and manifestations of sexuality. However, this “successful” management suggests a correlation with the conventional perceptions of femininity, masculinity, and sexuality, subjectivity buttressed with neoliberal values, and familial life in which the aging subject must remain a resource for younger generations. This analysis indicates that such standards exclude those life trajectories that do not comply with the norms of the discourses on aging in an “active” and “successful” way.

Ageism in the Age of Pandemic

Author(s): Iris Jerončić Tomić,Rosanda Mulić / Language(s): English Issue: 18/2021

Elderly persons, in addition to their health needs, also have a need for being socially perceived as persons and for considering aging as a normal life process. Throughout history, older people have been considered a social problem, resulting in a negative attitude towards the old age group. Ageism is a term denoting discrimination of a group of people because of their old age. Discrimination occurs because of the belief that aging causes negative changes that make a person less attractive, less intelligent and, most importantly, less productive. During a pandemic, the society’s unethical actions towards this particularly vulnerabile group become evident. These include cruelties in the triage procedure in some EU countries, giving preference to those who have a better chance of survival, and the recurring impression among the younger populations that nothing significant has changed in their lives and that, accordingly, nothing should be changed in their habits and behaviour.

Psychosocial Aspects of Perception and Emotional Experience of Older Adults During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Slovakia

Author(s): Miroslava Köverová,Beáta Ráczová / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

The older population is considered one of those with the highest risk of severe coronavirus infection (Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, 2020). This study is a part of research focused on the analysis of the psychosocial aspects of the perception and emotional experience of older Slovak adults as a risk group during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: The first aim of this research was to examine how older adults in Slovakia perceived and experienced the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were focused on their negative emotional experience – the levels of perceived stress, anxiety and concern (regarding a fear of COVID-19 infection). The second aim was to identify differences in negative emotional experience in older adults according to demographic characteristics. The final aim was to analyze the demographic and psychological characteristics of those groups of older adults who reported extremely low and extremely high levels of negative emotional experience (perceived stress, anxiety, or concern). Method: The research was conducted online during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 607 adults from Slovakia; 429 women and 178 men aged 61-93 (M = 68.97; SD = 4.76). They completed a State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, State version (Spielberger et al., 1983), a Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), and the authors’ scales focused on the assessment of the levels of fear of COVID-19 infection (concern), satisfaction with health, powerlessness, ability to deal with the situation of pandemic, loneliness, social isolation, and perceived danger of COVID-19 for themselves, their families and friends and people in Slovakia. Jamovi 1.6.15 and IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software (t-test, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, one-way ANOVA, Chi-square) were used for data analysis. Results: Descriptive analyses showed that older adults experienced low levels of perceived stress, moderate levels of anxiety, and moderate levels of concern during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. They reported moderate satisfaction with health, low levels of powerlessness, high levels of perceived ability to deal with the situation of the pandemic, moderate levels of loneliness and social isolation, and moderate to high levels of perceived danger of COVID-19 for themselves, their families and friends and people in Slovakia. The second step of the analyses was focused on the differences in perceived stress, anxiety, and concern according to demographic characteristics (gender, employment status, marital status, and household composition). Between-group analyses showed only gender differences in anxiety and concern – women reported higher levels of anxiety and concern than men. The third step of the analyses was focused on the comparison of the demographic and psychological characteristics between the groups of older adults who experienced extremely low and extremely high levels of negative emotions during the pandemic. Two groups were observed only in the case of concern: group 1 with older adults reporting an extremely low fear of COVID-19 infection (n = 51) and group 2 with older adults reporting an extremely high fear of COVID-19 infection (n = 40). Regarding the demographic characteristics, the two groups of older adults differed significantly only in gender – more women than men experienced an extremely high concern that they would be infected with coronavirus. Age distribution was equivalent across both groups – the also comprised of similar numbers of older adults who were single, married, divorced, or widowed and those who lived alone, with a spouse, with a spouse and children, or with children and family. However, significant differences between the two groups were found in psychological characteristics – older adults with extremely high concern reported low satisfaction with health, high powerlessness, low ability to deal with the situation of the pandemic, high loneliness and social isolation, and high perceived danger of COVID-19 for themselves, their families and friends and people in Slovakia. Limits and conclusions: One of the limitations of the research is that no data were obtained from older adults who were clients of social service facilities; mainly due to restrictions and measures existing at the time of data collection. The research sample consisted only of older adults who lived in their home environment and communicated via social networks. Online skills could have enabled them to search for information about the pandemic or to stay in contact with other people. All this could have positively affected their perception and emotional experience during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in contrast to the clients of the social service facilities. Despite this limitation, the research study has brought important findings. It showed that older adults did not experience the first wave of the pandemic only negatively and uncovered a risk group of older adults which was at increased risk of negative psychological effects (concern) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The identification of people who are most vulnerable in the elderly population is a key element for providing specific and effective psychological or social assistance.

Müslüman Yaşlılarda Pandemi Sürecine İlişkin Ruhsal Etkilenimler ve Dini Düşünceler

Author(s): Nimet Ferah / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 55/2021

This study is about Muslim elders’ psychological impressions and religious/spiritual thoughts during the pandemic process. The religious/spiritual thoughts of the elderly who are in the high risk group in the pandemic is important in terms of pointing to their inner resources and in terms of making sense of their experiences and providing them in combating the pandemic, which has turned into a psychological process. The aim of the study is to bring these sources and bases to light in the dimension of religious thought. The data obtained in accordance with the qualitative research paradigm using the interview technique were analysed. Even though they had to face negative mental effects, it was concluded that the pandemic process was encountered with a kind of prosperity and maturity by Muslim elders, they approached this process with moderation, they got support from their beliefs and used them wisely. As a result, it is understood that Muslim elders have an existential and encompassing understanding based on their beliefs against the effects of the pandemic process, all of which are related to their ego integrity and maturity.

The Way of Life in one Belgrade’s Home for Elderly

Author(s): Slavica Komatina / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1-4/1993

This article summaries results of sociological research done in The home for Elderly, Voždovac commune in Belgrade. Demographic, cultural and socio-economic characteristics of residents of this home were analyzed. At the same time, their way of life was analyzed, as well as their opinions and attitudes towards their life in such an institution, as well as towards problems of the old age. Results of this research show that the projection of ola personness in The Home for Elderly in their basically needs such as accommodation and health protection. At the same time, individual approach arid socio-cultural aspect doesn’t exist. The increase of depression and inertia of old people in homes for the old ages is caused by paternalistic attitude towards the old people in such institutions.

MANAGING OLDER TALENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF AGING SOCIETY

Author(s): Birutė Vilčiauskaitė,Asta Savanevičienė,Valentinas Navickas / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2020

Talents are more important than ever for the successful performance of organizations. The workforce is aging rapidly, and this trend creates both additional challenges for the companies and opportunities for the new directions in the management research. In the context of aging society, there is a lack of studies that analyze career development of older workers and especially older talents. In order to manage talented older employees, companies must reveal and fulfil their expectations and thus further develop their careers. To do so, older talents in later life have the following options: career mobility, workplace mentorship, volunteering, or older entrepreneurship. In order to find what practices are being taken by companies of various business industries in Lithuania to manage older talents, qualitative research strategy was employed. As the main method for the data collection, semi-structured in-depth interviews were adopted. The findings revealed, the majority of the companies support the idea that all their employees are talents, without indicating one particular age group, e.g. older workers. The respondents indicated the most valuable benefits given by the older talents as well as the main challenges that older talents impose in the organization. Older talents have some specific needs in comparison with younger talents, especially in training (which denies one of stereotypes that older workers can't be trained), as well as the need to contribute into the success of the company) and working conditions (e.g. flexibility). When evaluating the practices that are applied specifically to older talents, the most commonly mentioned among the respondents were various mentorship programs.

MOTHERHOOD AND ELDERCARE PENALTIES. EVIDENCE FROM POLAND

Author(s): Dorota Witkowska,Krzysztof Kompa / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2020

Care providers face many constraints which limit their ability to compete on labor market. Therefore, they either give up their jobs, or limit their work time, or they look for a caregiver’s friendly job which usually assumes low wages. The negative effect of providing care on caregiver’s wages is called care penalty. In developed countries, with relatively high percentage of female employees and population aged 65 and above, governments formulate a social policy which is to help individuals and households providing care, and to keep labor force supply on a certain level. The solutions essentially differ among states. This study aims to find out the evidence of care penalty among Polish employees. Investigation is provided applying econometric analysis using the microdata originated from the Polish Labour Force Survey. The presented research proves that motherhood and eldercare penalties exist in Poland and mostly women are penalized. This is evidenced by the negative and significant impact of the variables describing the number of unemployed children and elderly persons on monthly salaries and working hours in the models estimated for female employees, and the insignificant influence of these variables in the models estimated for male employees.

Структурная динамика занятости населения старшего возраста стран — участниц Евразийского экономического союза

Author(s): Elena Georgievna Kalabina,Maiya Rivelevna Gazizova,Zhibek Khussainova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 3/2021

Employment of older people can help solve problems arising from the population ageing. The growing demand for such employees creates favourable conditions for the realisation of their resource potential. In order to identify potential sectors for the employment of older workers, the study assesses structural shifts in the labour market by type of economic activity in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). It was hypothesised that, despite labour potential differences, the EAEU countries have similar industries characterised by positive trends toward increasing employment of older workers. After identifying these trends, the research classified theoretical approaches to the study of employment opportunities for older adults. The assessment of structural differences in employment by type of economic activity was conducted based on the selected methodology. To quantify changes in the EAEU countries, employment of older workers was analysed using the integral coefficients of structural shifts of Gatev and Ryabtsev. According to statistics on the population employment for 2014–2019, older people of the EAEU countries (except Armenia) can continue to work in real estate transactions, hotels and public catering establishments, as well as in the field of health care and social services. To stimulate the employment of older workers in these areas, state measures, based on the proposed recommendations, can focus on promoting entrepreneurship and expanding the information environment for older people.

Accessibility of TV programs to persons with disabilities

Author(s): Tatjana T. Ćitić / Language(s): English,Serbian Issue: 3/2021

The most modern media systems in television program production and placement have the obligation of ensuring program accessibility to persons with disabilities. While in some countries this obligation is defined through a certain minimum of adapted content, in Serbia there is a set of media laws only indicating the necessity of care for persons with difficulty in following the television program. The basic thesis of this paper is how program accessibility, and thus increased social inclusion through media content, may be improved through the development and greater presence of the existing services (subtitle, sign language, audio-description), as well as through the introduction of new services, based on the capacities offered by digital technology and application of artificial intelligence in content production and placement. The statistics shows that at least one in eighteen persons in Serbia has difficulty in following TV program due to vision or hearing impairment and therefore, in the absence of the tools ensuring accessibility, these persons are unable to get information, education and entertainment from the television program.

Dagmar Gramshammer-Hohl and Oana Hergenröther. (Eds.) Foreign Countries of Old Age: East and Southeast European Perspectives on Aging. Aging Studies, vol. 19. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag, 2021.

Author(s): Daniela Koleva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2021

Yaşlılara Yönelik Sosyal Harcamalar: Türkiye ve AB Karşılaştırması

Author(s): Dilek Akbaş Akdoğan / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 04/2021

Nowadays, with the improvements in living conditions, the developments in the care and health services provided by the countries, and the advances in the field of medicine, while the human lifespan is increasing, the total fertility rate is decreasing on the other hand. As a result of this situation, the share of the elderly population in the total population is increasing both in Turkey and around the world. This increasing trend makes it necessary for the countries to develop their social policies for the elderly. Depending on the increasing elderly population, the demand for the services provided to the elderly individuals in the society is increasing and at the same time, the needs demanded by the elderly individuals are changing. The aim of the study is to examine the development of social expenditures for the elderly in Turkey and to make a comparative evaluation with EU countries. In 2018, while the share of social expenditures in GDP was 11.9% in Turkey, the average for the EU was 27.9%. Although expenditures for the elderly have the largest share in total social expenditures in Turkey, this rate was limited to 5.9% of GDP for 2018. Social expenditures for the elderly in Turkey have a lower share than in all EU member states except Ireland.

Housing at Third Age – A Multi-Criterial Proposition

Author(s): Violeta Puşcaşu / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2021

This paper is part of a series of studies aimed at the issue of the third age, while being a continuation of a research published in the PARS journal, in 2017. Compared to the previous approach, this article comes with a set of criteria in terms of the choice of housing at the third age. The approach based mainly on demographic arguments, involves necessarily social, urban and cultural connotations. The structure of the research includes, in the first part, the theoretical approach to housing for the third age as a challenge that will importantly influence the future public policies, and in the second part, a practical analysis, composed of sets of criteria on housing.

Самота и потребности от социални контакти при хора в напреднала и старческа възраст – потребители на услуги в домашна среда

Author(s): Atanas Genchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2013

The paper presents results from an empirical research, conducted to establish the levels of loneliness and need for social interaction of older people – users of home care services. Provision of home care services for older people in Bulgaria is analyzed in regard to their potential to address the need for social interaction and prevent the feelings of loneliness of older people. In this regard and in conclusion guidelines supporting the work of social workers and careers are outlined.