Deprivation factors for the elderly in the social-labor sphere: A regional aspect

Abstract

Social deprivation and exclusion of the elderly have become a relevant problem not only for Russia but also for many European countries. The article aims at identifying the risk factors of deprivation of the elderly in the field of social-labor relations based on the theoretical-methodological analysis of the classical sociological theories and works of contemporary Russian and foreign sociologists focusing on the issues of social deprivation. The authors developed a factorial model of deprivation of the elderly in the social-labor sphere, and by combining it with the results of sociological surveys conducted in 2017-2018 in the Penza and Saratov Regions and the Republic of Tatarstan, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the deprivation factors of the elderly in the labor sphere. The article emphasizes that the elderly form a heterogeneous social group: some of them are an object of social policy, protection and welfare system, while others are an active subject of social interactions. The deprivation of the elderly depends on external and personal factors that can be of objective or subjective character. Based on the data of empirical studies, the article reveals the most significant depriving factors for the elderly in the social-labor sphere: age, education, residence, professional status before retirement, self-assessment of health and standards of living, perception of one’s demand in the labor market, and the demand for the elderly in the labor market from the employers’ perspective. The results of the surveys allowed to identify areas of employment with the highest demand for the elderly - health care, trade and production, while the sphere of information technologies is closed for them. In general the choice and implementation of behavior strategies corresponding to the model of active longevity contribute to overcoming the deprivation factors.