Causes of social exclusion of the elderly: Barriers to inclusive sustainable development

Abstract

Sustainable development cannot be achieved by leaving behind vulnerable and marginalized groups like older persons who experience multidimensional inequali-ties and social exclusion. This study investigates the root causes, manifestations, and impacts of social exclusion faced by the elderly population in Kazakhstan through an interdisciplinary socio-anthropological lens. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods, including surveys, interviews, and empirical analysis, the research examines subjective experiences of loneliness, isolation, low social en-gagement, and barriers to accessing essential services among older adults. It high-lights how factors like health status, income insecurity, ageism, lack of social support systems, and physical/digital accessibility issues intersect to produce and per-petuate social exclusion. In the course of the work carried out, it was revealed that the process of reducing the phenomenon of social exclusion provides an oppor-tunity to increase the effectiveness of social policy, one of the key tasks of which is to ensure a high standard of living for the elderly. Among the results obtained, factors such as subjective feeling of loneliness, diagnosis of social isolation, low level of social activity, and so on, should be noted. Through a conceptual analysis, the main group of risks was considered, which includes a large list of various areas of public activity. Policy proposals include strengthening social protection, facili-tating intergenerational solidarity, inclusive urban planning, digital inclusion and enhancing accessibility to public services tailored to older persons' needs.