Face Of Demographic Change Research Articles

The dark side of community development and place attachment in a diverse neighborhood

ABSTRACT This study explores the “dark” aspects of residents’ place attachment within an ethnically diverse neighborhood from a community development perspective. Using qualitative interviews, the study investigates residents’ perceptions of place and community attachment in a neighborhood in Jerusalem undergoing demographic changes. The findings revealed that feelings for the place and community were reflected in three different patterns of attachment: positive, negative/ambivalent, and avoidant. A relationship was found between the pattern of place attachment, residents’ responses to changes in their secure base, and the coping strategies they perceived as available in response to demographic changes in their neighborhood. This study highlights the need for researchers and community development proffesionals to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to address social tensions in diverse neigborhoods and to consider the darker aspects of place and community attachment. This knowledge can inform strategies for fostering more inclusive and harmonious communities in the face of demographic changes.

The Economic Impact of Canada's Aging Population

Canada is a country with an aging population, especially in cities with small populations, such as Winnipeg and Yukon. The aging population trend is a double-edged sword, as it has both benefits and drawbacks. The downside is that it leads to a number of economic problems, including a reduced workforce and increased health care costs, while the upside is that it can boost demand for specific services, such as nursing homes and hospitals. Specifically, the paper aims to examine the factors that contribute to Canada's aging population trend and its effect on the workforce in these cities, including the retirement of baby boomers and declining birth rates. Also, it investigated the economic implications of an aging population, such as reduced labor supply and increased healthcare and insurance costs. Additionally, assessing the impact of population aging on these urban emerging industries and identifying potential policy solutions to mitigate the negative economic impact of population aging are presented in detail to provide readers with a clear framework. It can be inferred that the aging population trend in Canada is a complex issue that has both benefits and drawbacks. While it may boost demand for specific services, such as nursing homes and hospitals, it can also lead to a decline in the labor supply, increased healthcare costs, and challenges for emerging industries in smaller cities. It is important to study the impact of Canada's aging population trends on the economy to inform policy decisions aimed at promoting economic growth and stability in the face of demographic change.

Taking Communities into the Groan Zone: Subjective Wellbeing in the Face of Demographic Change, Racial Diversity, and Political Difference☆

AbstractThis paper draws from a dataset focusing on two rural communities in Colorado (USA). Data collection occurred over two periods: late‐2019 and again during COVID‐19 lockdowns in mid‐2020. The communities differed demographically: one had a growing minoritized population, especially among its youth; the other was overwhelmingly white. The paper troubles the concept of subjective wellbeing (SWB) as it asks about the productive potentials of discomfort, with assistance from such concepts as colorblind ideology, motivated reasoning, and network homophily. While important to think about so‐called positive emotional states in the context of community development, we must also ask questions like, “SWB for who and at whose expense?” How respondents thought about individual‐ and community‐level SWB had much to do with the social networks they were in. I also explore why the community that fared pandemic‐related disruptions, from a SWB standpoint, better than the other performed worse during this same period from an economic (material) standpoint. Sociological factors explain these dynamics, which are leveraged to enhance our understanding of how to conceptualize community development in productive ways. In sum, I argue that certain expressions of discomfort have value and are therefore necessary for creating resilient, flourishing, and, ultimately, just communities.

Methods Used to Evaluate mHealth Applications for Cardiovascular Disease: A Quasi-Systematic Scoping Review.

In the face of demographic change and constantly increasing health care costs, health care system decision-makers face ever greater challenges. Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) have the potential to combat this trend. However, in order to integrate mHealth apps into care structures, an evaluation of such apps is needed. In this paper, we focus on the criteria and methods of evaluating mHealth apps for cardiovascular disease and the implications for developing a widely applicable evaluation framework for mHealth interventions. Our aim is to derive substantiated patterns and starting points for future research by conducting a quasi-systematic scoping review of relevant peer-reviewed literature published in English or German between 2000 and 2021. We screened 4066 articles and identified n = 38 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The results of the data derived from these studies show that usability, motivation, and user experience were evaluated primarily using standardized questionnaires. Usage protocols and clinical outcomes were assessed primarily via laboratory diagnostics and quality-of-life questionnaires, and cost effectiveness was tested primarily based on economic measures. Based on these findings, we propose important considerations and elements for the development of a common evaluation framework for professional mHealth apps, including study designs, data collection tools, and perspectives.

The influence of the demographic structure on the economic growth of Ukraine

The national economy is closely related to the demographic structure of the society. Therefore, in the face of demographic changes, it is necessary to assess the influence of these changes on economic growth. This article presents an estimation of the impact that the future changes in the demographic structure will have on the economic growth of Ukraine, represented by the rate of changes in GDP per capita. The decomposition of GDP per capita and making the components of this decomposition dependent on the demographic structure allowed an empirical analysis, which used a variety of econometric and statistical techniques and was based on a population forecast prepared by the Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. As a result, it was determined that the impact of the changes in the demographic structure on Ukraine’s long-term economic growth will be highly diverse over the studied period (until 2060). However, considering the entire period of the analysis, the negative effects of the changes in the demographic structure on the economy will be counterbalanced by the positive effects of these changes.

Labour demand forecasts in the nace sections in the face of demographic changes in 2050

Głównym celem artykułu jest określenie popytu na pracę w poszczególnych sekcjach PKD 2007 do roku 2050. Celem dodatkowym jest sprawdzenie, czy suma prognoz dotycząca poszczególnych sekcji tworzących popyt na pracę w polskiej gospodarce jest zbieżna z prognozowaną podażą pracy. Prognozy popytu na pracę obejmują dwa etapy odpowiadające dwóm perspektywom czasowym: 2019–2030 oraz 2031–2050. Z prognoz na rok 2030 wynika, że nastąpi niewielki spadek liczby pracujących – do 16 286 tys. osób (w porównaniu z 16 484 w 2018 r.). Przewidywana liczba pracujących w roku 2050 to 16 100 tys. osób. Te stosunkowo wysokie wartości wynikają m.in. z optymistycznych przewidywań Ministerstwa Finansów (z 2019 r.) co do przyszłego tempa wzrostu PKB oraz ostrożnościowego założenia o stosunkowo niskich tempach wzrostu TFP w latach 2031–2050. Prognozy popytu na pracę zestawiono z prognozami jej podaży, uwzględniając trzy scenariusze dotyczące aktywności zawodowej Polaków w roku 2050: (1) na poziomie wartości polskich z 2019 r.; (2) na poziomie średnich wartości w UE 27 z 2019 r.; (3) na poziomie wartości maksymalnych w poszczególnych grupach wiekowych w krajach UE 27 w 2019 r. Tylko trzecia symulacja gwarantuje, że prognozowany na 2050 r. popyt na pracę, wynoszący 16 100 tys. osób, zostanie zaspokojony przez odpowiednią liczbę osób zdolnych tę pracę zaoferować. Symulacja ta zakłada wzrost aktywności zawodowej Polaków w poszczególnych grupach wiekowych do poziomów maksymalnych notowanych w 2019 r. w krajach UE 27, co oznacza znaczne zmobilizowanie roczników, które – zgodnie z dzisiejszą polską definicją – nie należą do grupy osób w wieku produkcyjnym.

Health, longevity and retirement reform

Abstract In this paper, we study alternative retirement reforms designed to achieve fiscal sustainability in the face of demographic change. We are particularly interested in the heterogeneous effects across demographic groups, as improvements in health and longevity have not been uniform across the population. To this end, we develop a dynamic, structural life cycle model of heterogeneous agents who face health, mortality and income risk. We consider the following policy reform measures: (1) increasing the early access age to old-age retirement, (2) raising income taxes, (3) lowering old-age retirement benefits and (4) lowering old-age retirement and disability benefits. We find that, of the considered policies, proportionally lowering old-age retirement and disability benefits results in the highest average welfare for all education categories. It is also the most successful at boosting employment.

The emergence of the creative ager – On subject cultures of late-life creativity

ObjectivesIn the last fifteen years, research on aging has seen a new interest in creativity in later life. While late-life creativity has often been described as a method to unpack the potential of older adults in the face of demographic change, this newfound interest is arguably linked to the commodification of late-life creativity itself in terms of innovation and productivity. These new modes of creativity might then also establish new ways to age. Has the homo aestheticus spread into old age? MethodTo explore this question, this paper first lays out a praxeology of late-life creativity. In this framework, creativity as well as age is understood as a social practice through which the artwork as well as the (older) artist is continuously produced. Second, this paper draws upon data from thirteen semi-structured interviews with older adults regularly involved in creative practices in their everyday lives. Using the documentary method, data shows how older adults describe the creative practice and what meanings they attach to growing older within these practices. Results and discussionAnalyzing subject cultures that emerge from creativity in later life shows how creative practice calls for a specific self-image that is centered around productivity, the preservation of field positions despite growing older and active as well as anti-aging. Studying late-life creativity through a praxeological lens allows for critically evaluating current modes of creativity and the normative positions that are inherent in these practices.

Endogenous Retirement Behavior of Heterogeneous Households Under Pension Reforms

We propose a unified framework to measure the effects of different reforms of the pension system on retirement ages and macroeconomic indicators in the face of demographic change. A rich overlapping generations (OLG) model is built and endogenous retirement decisions are explicitly modeled within a public pension system. Heterogeneity with respect to consumption preferences, wage profiles, and survival rates is embedded in the model. Besides the expected direct effects of these reforms on the behavior of households, we observe that feedback effects do occur. Results suggest that individual retirement decisions are strongly influenced by numerous incentives produced by the pension system and macroeconomic variables, such as the statutory eligibility age, adjustment rates, the presence of a replacement rate, and interest rates. Those decisions, in turn, have several impacts on the macro-economy which can create feedback cycles working through equilibrium effects on interest rates and wages. Taken together, these reform scenarios have strong implications for the sustainability of pension systems. Because of the rich nature of our unified model framework, we are able to rank the reform proposals according to several individual and macroeconomic measures, thereby providing important support for policy recommendations on pension systems.

The Role of Resilience Factors in Informal Caregivers of Dementia Patients - A Review on Selected Factors

In the face of demographic change, the informal care of dementia patients is becoming increasingly important. However, due to dementia symptoms as well as persisting care demands, this subgroup of informal caregivers is confronted with a large number of stressors resulting in chronic stress and impaired physical and mental health in many caregivers. Based on the current research on resilience (i. e., maintaining or regaining health despite stress and adversities), there is increasing interest in identifying resilience factors that may serve as resources to cope with informal care and protect caregivers against health problems. The review discusses the role of resilience factors in the association between ongoing caregiving stress and health. In analyzing the current state of research on resilience factors for dementia caregivers, we focus on the factors self-efficacy, relationship quality, and social support.

Large cities in Poland in face of demographic changes

Abstract The growth of rural population, to the detriment of cities in Poland is caused mainly by agglomeration processes, including suburbanisation. Consequently, intense and sudden changes in demographic structure of large cities and surrounding regions are observed. The paper presents demographic changes in the largest Polish cities. The aim of the study was to verify whether the phenomenon of population aging was more distinct in large cities than in surrounding municipalities. We also aimed to answer the question of how changes in demographic processes should shape the social policy pursued by authorities in large cities. Discussion covers activities rising out of demographic challenges to meet the needs in the field of “services” for children and increasing demand for ventures related to care for the elderly. The analysis includes selected areas of the education, health care and social assistance fields.

International strategies in the face of aging population

Abstract Introduction. Population aging poses many important economic, social, and health challenges to the modern world. This applies mostly to developed countries. The phenomenon requires joint action of Member States of the European Union, the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the Council of Europe as well as some unified strategies for the actions taken by these entities. Aim. The aim of this study was to demonstrate international strategies implemented in the face of demographic changes. Material and methods. The authors analyzed the documents outlining strategies for both organizations and entities, as well as recommendations for international scientific consultation on strategy of the aging population. Results. Analysis of changes happening to the oldest age groups showed the need for cooperation between countries. An overview of the strategies being taken at the moment and those that had been undertaken previously by international entities can contribute to modify the arrangements of the elderly; in order to improve the living conditions in multidimensional aspect. Conclusions. The key to achieving the desired effect through implementing the policies of individual countries is to monitor them on a regular basis.

Rationale and dissemination of "GP centered health care" ("HzV") in Germany

In the face of demographic changes, the aging of the population, and the increase in chronic morbidity and complexity, efficient primary care is needed to ensure comprehensive and high-quality health care. The general practitioner (GP) can only cope with this task, if certain preconditions are met. To strengthen primary health care, the German legislator added § 73b, "GP-centered health care" ("Hausarztzentrierte Versorgung", HzV) to the Social Code Book V. This article seeks to illustrate the rationale and general set-up of the HzV and to report on its dissemination. We discuss whether or not the HzV can promote the preconditions required. Literature search, querying participants. Several elements of the HzV, such as lump-sum reimbursement, obligatory participation in structured quality circles, continuing education, and the qualification of non-medical health care assistants help to promote an environment that enables GPs to fulfill their new role. Considering all assured people and the Federal Republic as a whole, the distribution of the HzV is poor. However, a growing number of contracts (currently: 79) and participants (currently > 3.6 million) is expected. The establishment of efficient primary care is heavily promoted by the HzV. In future, ways must be found to overcome the inflexible borders between sectors and to integrate community-based health care, which truly focuses on the patients needs. The HzV can be seen as a starting point.

Diversity management and performance: paving the way for a revised business case

As empirical evidence on the causal link between diversity and performance is sparse; and in the light of the predominant business case perspective [with exceptions from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)], this paper delineates a path for building a revised business case. In the face of demographic change, companies are increasingly held accountable for the attainment of societal goals other than profit maximisation (e.g. sustainability, learning and resilience). This paper argues that those goals prevalent in biodiversity research should be integrated in economic diversity management. The balanced scorecard, diversity training and mentoring are discussed as a building block of a revised business case adhering to social efficiency rather than economic efficiency alone. In addition, links to ecological diversity research are established. Potentially, synergies may be tapped on both the conceptual and the applied level in building a more inclusive business case.

Mediating Change: A Japanese Perspective on Adaptable Architecture

AbstractAdaptable buildings that are effectively left open, in a perpetual state of making, have the greatest potential to cater for society's needs in the face of demographic change. Here Robert Schmidt III, architect and researcher, and Toru Eguchi, associate professor at Yokohama National University in Japan, explore how Japan, which has a rich tradition of adaptable architecture and also the highest life expectancy in the world, has embraced this approach.

Color Conscious, Cultural Blindness

Suburban school districts have undergone significant demographic shifts over the past several decades. However, limited research exists that explores how suburban district leaders are responding to such changes, and what factors may shape their responses. To better understand how districts within these communities are responding to suburban diversification, we conducted a qualitative case study of a large and rapidly changing suburban district. We interviewed top-level district administrators, principals, and teachers at three case study schools that were undergoing particularly rapid demographic shifts. We found that instead of directly addressing issues of race in the district, the district’s response was colorblind in design: It was racially conscious of changes in student demographics, but its practices to address these changes were race-neutral. Findings suggest that districts must assert a framework for responding to issues of race in the face of demographic change.

Sustainable food consumption: an overview of contemporary issues and policies

Contemporary food production and consumption cannot be regarded as sustainable and raises problems with its wide scope involving diverse actors. Moreover, in the face of demographic change and a growing global population, sustainability problems arising from food systems will likely become more serious in the future. For example, agricultural production must deal with the impacts of climate change, increasingly challenging land-use conflicts, and rising health and social costs on both individual and societal levels. The unsustainability of current arrangements arises from the industrialization and globalization of agriculture and food processing, the shift of consumption patterns toward more dietary animal protein, the emergence of modern food styles that entail heavily processed products, the growing gap on a global scale between rich and poor, and the paradoxical lack of food security amid an abundance of food. These factors are attributable to national and international policies and regulations, as well as to prevalent business practices and, in particular, consumers’ values and habits. The most effective ways for affluent societies to reduce the environmental impact of their diets are to reduce consumption of meat and dairy products (especially beef), to favor organic fruits and vegetables, and to avoid goods that have been transported by air on both individual and institutional levels (e.g., public procurement, public catering). In examining the unsustainability of the current food system this article reviews the pertinent literature to derive a working definition of sustainable food consumption, outlines the major issues and impacts of current food-consumption practices, and discusses various policy interventions, including information-based instruments, market-based initiatives, direct regulations, and “nudges.” It concludes with a call for integrative, cross-sectoral, and population-wide policies that address the full range of drivers of unsustainable food production and consumption.

Demographic Trends in Southern Europe: Rethinking the Welfare State

In the face of demographic change there is an urgent need for financial, social and fiscal reforms. This article looks at Southern Europe, and the case of Spain in particular, for the efforts put forward to combat the challenges of demographic change. The author identifies innovative pension system reforms, public debt reduction and the extension of working life as top priorities. Reform in these areas is crucial if Europe is to ensure a dynamic economy in the future and avoid the pitfalls associated with looming demographic shifts.

Cross-Border Labour Mobility within an Enlarged EU

This paper examines the potential for increased cross-border labour mobility within the EU-25 and considers the costs and benefits of any increase in labour mobility to both sending and receiving countries in the medium to long run. Evidence from previous EU enlargement experiences, academic studies, the existence of barriers to mobility within the EU and the economic determinants of migration all indicate a moderate potential for increased migrant flows. The magnitude of cross-border labour flow in the medium to long run will most likely be largely a function of the demand for migrants and the speed at which the EU-8 catches up economically with the EU-15. If broad-based economic growth and social development continues in the EU-8, labour migration will most likely decrease. In addition, faster population ageing in the EU-8 tends towards dampening migration flow from the new Member States in the medium term. In terms of costs and benefits, for the EU-8 countries labour migration, especially in the short run, may present a number of challenges. Emigration may tend to weigh disproportionally on the pool of young and educated workers, aggravating labour market bottlenecks in a number of EU-8 countries. For the EU-25 as a whole, cross-border labour mobility is likely to offer a number of advantages, by allowing a more efficient matching of workers' skills with job vacancies and facilitating the general upskilling of European workforces. The current restrictions on labour mobility from the EU-8 countries to the other EU member countries stand in contrast with one of the central principles of the EU - the free movement of labour. Furthermore, these restrictions may decrease the efficient use of labour resources in the face of demographic change and globalisation and hamper an important adjustment mechanism within EMU. Delaying the removal of these barriers may be costly for the EU-25 at a time when leaders are concerned about Europe's international competitiveness and may increase illegal work in a number of countries. Finally, it would not be beneficial for Europe to loose a significant part of the most agile and talented individuals from the new Member States to more traditional migration centres such as the US and Canada.

The Intergenerational Impact of Long-term Care Financing Alternatives in Spain

This paper examines the financial sustainability of long-term care funding options in Spain. We employ the generational accounting (“GA”) methodology to evaluate the intertemporal impact of funding policies for long-term care services in the face of demographic change. Our findings suggest first that, although at present the system seems actuarially fair, the resources currently employed will be clearly insufficient to fund future needs, due to the demographic dependency of expenditures; second, that the specific tax instrument used to fund long-term care plays a less significant role. Conversely, the role of co-payment turns out to be key in offsetting the adverse effect of demography on the finances of the system.