Global Aging and Social Work in a Neo-Liberal Context:
An International Political Economy Analysis with
Recommendations
Joe Schriver, PhD
Professor
jschrive@uark.edu
Alishia Ferguson, PhD
Assistant Professor
ajfergus@uark.edu
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
School of Social Work
Purpose
The purpose of today’s presentation is to start a conversation
about the effect of neo-liberal policies on the global aging
population and how gerontological social work responds.
The following topics will be addressed:
• Profile of Global Aging
• Political Economy Perspective of Aging
• Neo-Liberalism
• The effects of Neoliberalism on Aging using Political
Economy lens.
• Neoliberalism-The implications for Gerontological Social
Work
Global Aging Profile
Nine major factors:
1. The overall population is aging. Rate greatest in LDCs.
2. Life expectancy is increasing.
3. The number of oldest old is rising.
4. Non-communicable diseases are becoming a growing
burden (Examples: heart diseases, diabetes, cancer).
5. Some populations will shrink in the next few decades.
6. Family structures are changing.
7. Social insurance systems are evolving.
8. New economic challenges are emerging.
9. Patterns of work and retirement are shifting.
(Bengston and Lowenstein 2004; Krug 2002; Estes et al. 2001 in Powell, 2010, pp. 2-3)
Figures in following slides: UN World Population Aging 2009 & 2010 Revisions.
Political Economy Perspective
Economic and political institutions create social policy.
-
Policy effects quality of life and opportunities.
Age and the welfare state.
Age and the labor market
Political Economy of Aging:
-
This Perspective explores relationship between aging and social policy
Explains systematic economic and social inequities for older adults.
A Lens for addressing:
– Early Life Opportunities and Lifestyle Choices
– Constraints and Choices on Income Security
– Health and Wellbeing
(Walker, 2009)
Political Economy Perspective
• The Political Economy is rooted in relationships
between:
–
–
–
–
–
Social structure
Individual social-economic status
Gender and Ethnicity
Life Course
Welfare State
• Through the political economy perspective we
realize:
-
Economic old age dependency is not created by chronological age alone
Bias based on class, gender and ethnicity
(Estes, 1999; Kail, 2009)
The Moral Economy Component
• Moral Economy as an extension of Political Economy
– Old age is understood through moral precepts derived
from market based principles of reciprocity
• Moral Economy is concerned with the social construction
of aging related to:
– Fairness
– Justice
– Social Obligation
• The moral economy informs debates such as:
– The Deserving and the Non-Deserving
– Generational Equity
(Conway, 2006; Kail, 2009)
Neo-Liberalism
“A ‘conservative revolution’ which ‘ratifies
and glorifies the reign of . . . the financial
markets, . . . the return . . . of radical
capitalism, with no other law than the
return of maximum profit, an unfettered
capitalism . . . .’”
(Bourdieu, 2001, p. 35 in Garrett, 2010, p. 340)
Neo-Liberalism: A Political Economy Lens
1. Remaking the State
2. ‘Accumulation by Dispossession’
A.
B.
C.
D.
Privatization of public resources and services: Transfer of assets from
public and civic sectors to private and class-privileged domains.
Financializing economies globally: Redistribution of wealth from
workers & productive capital to finance capital – speculation,
predation, & fraud.
Management & manipulation of debt & disinvestment crises:
Creating a sense of precariousness.
State Redistribution: Large reductions in taxes on high incomes &
capital wealth – agri & pharma subsidies, corp. socialism.
(Garrett, 2010; Harvey, 2006; Polivka & Estes, 2009)
Neo-Liberalism: A Political Economy Lens
Privatization Examples
•Public utilities of all kinds (water, telecommunications,
transportation),
•Social welfare provision (social housing, education, health care,
pensions)
•Public institutions (such as universities, research laboratories,
prisons)
•Warfare (as illustrated by the ‘army’ of private contractors
operating alongside the armed forces in Iraq)
•Intellectual property rights established through the TRIPS
agreement within the WTO defines genetic materials, seed
plasmas, and all manner of other products, as private property.
(Harvey, 2006)
Implications for Social Work
• Delivery of care (residential, nursing) by big corporate
providers
• “Business of care,” priorities are profit & business values
rather than quality of care.
• Loss of traditional social work values. Old age policy and
politics deeply affected by commodification
• Globalization/neoliberalism focus on profit results increased
inequality and social injustice, intensified by the great
recession.
• Old age as a demographic and economic disaster rather than a
social issue complicated by poverty and health vulnerability.
Scourfield, 2007; Polivka & Estes, 2009
Conclusions/Recommendations
• Social work education, may be failing to adequately
and critically examine neoliberalism and processes of
neoliberalization.
• Advocacy for preservation of public pensions and
national health insurance as part of a broader
strategy to gain support for alternative economic
policies to achieve equitable, sustainable job-creating
growth.
• Engage with World Social Forum – voice of civil
society.
(Garrett, 2010; Polivka & Estes, 2009; World Social Forum, 2011)
Conclusions/Recommendations cont’d
•
•
•
•
Clinical model not helpful in this environment
Advocacy and Political Approach
Social/Economic Community Model
The social work profession suffers from structural lag
that is neither linear nor created by any single factor.
• Social work leadership must be more involved in
dialogue at the national and international levels about
policies that effect the growing older population.
(Ferguson & Schriver, 2011)
References
Arber, S. (2007). Aging, Globalization and Inequality: The New Critical Gerontology. Contemporary Sociology, 36(2), 186-188.
Asquith, N. (2009). Positive ageing, neoliberalism and Australian sociology. Journal of Sociology, 45(3), 255.
Becker, D. (2010). The neoliberal moment: Communicative interaction and a discursive analysis of the global political economy.
International Politics, 47(2), 251-268, doi:10.1057/ip.2010.1.
Broadhurst, K. (2010). 'Transforming' Children's Services? Social Work, Neoliberalism and the 'Modern' World. [Book Review]. Critical
Social Policy, 30(3), 444-447.
Cardona, B. (2008). 'Healthy Ageing' policies and anti-ageing ideologies and practices: on the exercise of responsibility. Medicine, Health
Care, and Philosophy, 11(4), 475-483, doi:10.1007/s11019-008-9129-z.
Connell, R., Fawcett, B., & Meagher, G. (2009). Neoliberalism, New Public Management and the human service professions: Introduction
to the Special Issue. Journal of Sociology, 45(4), 331-338.
Correll, D. (2008). The politics of poverty and social development. International Social Work, 51(4), 453-466, doi:10.11
77/0020872808090239.
Estes, C. (1999). Chapter 1. Critical gerontology and the new political economy of aging. M. Minkler & C. Estes (Eds.). Critical
Gerontology: Perspectives from Political and Moral Economy. (17-35). Amnityville, New York: Baywood.
Ferguson, A., Schriver, J. (2012). The future of gerontological social work: A case for structural lag. Journal of Gerontological Social Work
55, 304-320.
Ferguson, I. (2012). Personalisation, social justice and social work: a reply to Simon Duffy. Journal of Social Work Practice, 26(1), 55-73,
doi:10.1080/02650533.2011.623771.
Ferguson, I., & Lavalette, M. (2006). Globalization and global justice. International Social Work, 49(3), 309-318,
doi:10.1177/0020872806063401.
Garrett, P.M. (2010). Examining the 'Conservative Revolution': Neoliberalism and Social Work Education. Social Work Education, 29(4),
340-355, doi:10.1080/02615470903009015.
Gray, M. (2010). Social development and the status quo: professionalization and Third Way co-optation. International Journal of Social
Welfare, 19(4), 463-470, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2397.2009.00714.x.
Grayson, K. (2010). Human security, neoliberalism and corporate social responsibility. International Politics, 47(5), 497-522,
doi:10.1057/ip.2010.20.
References Continued
Hicks, J., & Kingson, E.R. (2009). The Economic Crisis: How Fare Older Americans? Generations, 33(3), 6-11.
Joseph, J. (2006). Globalization and Governmentality. International Politics, 43(3), 402-418, doi:10.1057/palgrave.ip.8800148.
Kail, B., Quadagno, J., Keene, J. (2009). Chapter 30: The political economy perspective of aging. V. Bengtson, D., Gans, N. Putney & M.
Silverstein (Eds.). Handbook of Theories of Aging. 2nd ed. (555-571). New York, New York: Springer.
Kwong-leung, T. (2008). Taking Older People's Rights Seriously: The Role of International Law. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 20(1),
116.
Lavalette, M., & Ferguson, I. (2007). Democratic language and neo-liberal practice: The problem with civil society. Lenguaje
democrático y neo-liberal practica: el problema con la sociedad civil., 50(4), 447-459, doi:10.1177/0020872807077906.
Midgley, J. (2009). Reclaiming Social Work: Challenging Neoliberalism and Promoting Social Justice. [Book Review]. Journal of
Sociology & Social Welfare, 36(2), 185-186.
Mishtal, J. (2010). Neoliberal reforms and privatisation of reproductive health services in post-socialist Poland. Reproductive Health
Matters, 18(36), 56-66, doi:10.1016/s0968-8080(10)36524-4.
Polivka, L. (2007). GROWING RISK IN AN AGING NATION. The Gerontologist, 47(2), 255-263.
Polivka, L. (2011). Neoliberalism and Postmodern Cultures of Aging. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 30(2), 173.
Polivka, L., & Estes, C.L. (2009). The Economic Meltdown and Old Age Politics. Generations, 33(3), 56-62.
Powell, J.L., & Steel, R. (2011). Policy, Governance and Governmentality: Conceptual and Research Reflections on Ageing in England.
Journal of Social Research & Policy, 2(2), 111-119.
Schram, S.F., Soss, J., Houser, L., & Fording, R.C. (2010). The third level of US welfare reform: governmentality under neoliberal
paternalism. Citizenship Studies, 14(6), 739-754, doi:10.1080/13621025.2010.522363.
Sidorenko, A., & Walker, A. (2004). The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing: from conception to implementation. Ageing
and Society, 24, 147-165.
Tang, K.-I., & Peters, H. (2006). Internationalizing the struggle against neoliberal social policy. International Social Work, 49(5), 571582, doi:10.1177/0020872806066751.
Conway, S. (2004). Chapter 6: Agency in the context of loss and bereavement: A moral economy of aging? Emanuelle Tull (Ed.). Old
Age and Agency. (87-104). Hauppauge, New York: Nova.
Walker, A. (2005). Towards an international political economy of ageing. Ageing & Society, 25(6), 815-839.
Walker, A. (2009). Chapter 32: Aging and social policy: Theorizing the Social. V. Bengtson, D., Gans, N. Putney & M. Silverstein (Eds.).
Handbook of Theories of Aging. 2nd ed. New York: Springer.
Wallace, J., & Pease, B. (2011). Neoliberalism and Australian social work: Accommodation or resistance?. Journal of Social Work,
11(2), 132-142, doi:10.1177/1468017310387318.