The phenomenon of an ageing society has been studied in scholarly literature and this field of study is known as gerontology.
Gerontology studies the physical, mental, social and societal aspects of aging and the consequences of these factors. However, the study of gerontology is influenced by societal sentiments about older people that are complex, inconsistent and frequently misunderstood, ranging from altruism to hostility.
Generally, research on “ageing” falls under three perspectives: its legal and social ramifications, biological decline and senescence and the meaning of unique and fragile human lives as they evolve and are experienced over time.
These distinct conceptions of ageing are frequently intertwined and confused, with confusing and occasionally dehumanising effects.
The population’s ageing should be considered a reasonable consequence of society’s development and progress. We cannot deny that an ageing population could pose many obstacles and raise concerns about health care and pension systems, senior citizens’ well-being and future economic growth.
In less than twenty years, there will be three senior citizens for every twenty Malaysians and the number of Malaysians over the age of 65 is expected to treble from two million now to over six million by 2040. Similarly, China’s ageing population poses a significant threat to its future.
According to projections, the number of individuals over 60 will climb from 17.4% in 2020 to 30% in 2040, and the proportion of retirees to people of working age will rise from 17% in 2020 to 53% in 2060.
In order to build a policy structure that effectively reacts to the aging phenomenon, it is essential to examine how to manage population aging critically and effectively.
Western civilisations have faced ageing challenges earlier than Eastern ones and have conducted substantial research on ageing policies. A series of policy research reports on the issues of an ageing population and suggestions for policy reforms were published. Some academics have examined the guiding principles of ageing policies from the standpoint of policy formulation. Other scholars have focused on the historical pattern of ageing policy changes to explain the policy’s characteristics and dynamics over time.
The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) and agencies within KPWKM, such as the Department of Social Welfare, in response to the issues of population aging, have provided various services for the elderly. Among the services offered are financial aids, senior activity centres and the “We Care” Elderly Programme.
These initiatives show the government’s dedication to fostering independent senior citizens with a strong sense of self-worth, dignity and respect by maximising their self-potential through an active, positive, productive and age-friendly lifestyle.
Likewise, China has issued a guideline for implementing its national policy to handle population aging and increase the elderly’s sense of fulfilment, happiness and safety. The guideline, issued jointly by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, outlines a variety of measures to meet the needs of the elderly in a coordinated manner while addressing the issue of population aging through the combined efforts of the Party, government and society. The guideline aims to empower people by providing elderly-friendly services and supportive environments that improve senior citizens’ quality of life.
Studies on gerontology and ageing policy are noteworthy. However, studies on the aging society can be more humanistic by addressing the following questions: First, how can aging studies most effectively create a conceptual vocabulary and framing which enables the senior citizens to live a respectful and dignified life? Second, what is “good” old age?
Third, how can we guarantee that the weak or older individuals with a significant need for support (for example, due to dementia) live in a respectful and dignified manner?
Humanistic value includes treating older people as equals in a shared human dilemma. Humanistic gerontology is crucial to humanities because it focuses on concerns about the human condition. Senior citizens require meaningful reactions to daily experiences and these may come from human situations that integrate social, political and ethical elements. The humanistic value encompasses human interactions and their shared ethos in which mutual “support groups” are excellent examples of how people in modern society strive to provide each other with knowledgeable support through conversations.
The humanistic value should also include other sources for appreciating human experiences such as arts, which are sources of unexpected originality and experience that cannot be quantified. Whether the needs of the senior citizens are evaluated individually or collectively, multidimensional coordination and integration of resources are required. For instance, the policy on ageing should not just address older individuals’ demand for long-term care services but also their need for social participation.
Management of an ageing society should not be the sole duty of a single institution, such as the government or public entity following the emergence of the welfare state, but also of non-governmental organisations and the non-ageing public as a whole. Perhaps more programmes or projects to value the elderly such as the “Caring for the Elderly Programme” by non-profit organisation Tzu Chi, Malaysia, or “City-Enterprise Joint (Public Private Partnership) Elderly Care Special Action” by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China, should involve greater participation by more parties in order to foster more positive and healthy attitudes towards an ageing society.
By adopting a holistic approach that prioritises humanistic values, concerns faced by an ageing society can be addressed accordingly.
Dr. Koon Vui Yee is a Senior Lecturer at Sunway University.
The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.
The SEARCH Scholar Series is a social responsibility programme jointly organised by the Southeast Asia Research Centre for Humanities (SEARCH) and the Centre of Business and Policy Research, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC), and co-organised by the Association of Belt and Road Malaysia.
