Population ageing is one of humanity’s greatest triumphs that in the same time raise a lot of complex economic and social problems in all countries in 21 century because of necessity of warranting equal rights, increasing physical and functional health, social participation, independency and well being for elderly people. World Health Organization (WHO) suggests the actualization of active aging policy approach and encourages research for solving the problems. The social problem in Lithuania, the considerable increasing amount of elderly willing to be institutionalized and resigning their autonomy and independent living, raise important sociological problem, whether the active ageing policy (AAP) system is functioning in Lithuania. Our research was designed for analysis of that problem. The subject-matter of investigation is a social system of AAP in Lithuania. Hypothetical approach enables us predicate, that the system is not working on national level, and otherwise the problems of institutionalization of elderly should not bee so significant. The main goal of the present study is to traverse the functioning of national AAP social system and reveal interconnections amongst the basic structural elements of the system on the grounds of the ideas of structural functionalism. The basic tasks for realization of the goal: 1) To evaluate the conformity of the cultural model of national AAP social system with the ideological WHO recommendations in the field; 2) To analyze the... [to full text]

SENSTANTI VISUOMENĖ: KONKURENCINGUMO VEIKSNIAI IR PRIEMONĖS EUROPOJE SANTRAUKA Informacinėje visuomenėje demografinių procesų dinamika paspartino senstančios visuomenės procesą ir pakeitė visuomenės amžiaus struktūrą. Technologijų pažanga, globalizacija ir demografinis senėjimas keičia Europos visuomenę ir skatina politikos kūrėjus atsižvelgti į įvairius skirtingų kartų poreikius. Europoje, kurioje labai ryškios senėjimo tendencijos ypač jaučiami socialiniai ir ekonominiai pokyčiai: globalinės užimtumo, kompetencijos bei gebėjimų naudotis informacinėmis technologinėmis stoka, sveikatos, politinės ir bendruomeninio aktyvumo galimybės. Senstančios visuomenės augimas yra kompleksinė problema, kuri pasireiškia nacionaliniu, regioniniu, įmonių ir individualiu lygmeniu. Stiprinant senstančios visuomenės konkurencingumą ir socialinę sanglaudą, remiantis strategijomis kuriamos efektyvios priemonės siekiant kokybiško integravimo į socialinę bei ekonominę politiką. Tezė Europoje senstančios visuomenės problemos sukelia sudėtingus socialinius ir ekonominius pokyčius, kuriuos itin svarbu tikslingai įvertinti ir numatyti, kad būtų galima laiku imtis veiksmų, kurių tikslas – suformuoti naujas realijas, atitinkančias, senstančios visuomenės globaliojo konkurencingumo sampratas. / AGING SOCIETY: FACTORS AND MEANS OF COMPETITIVENESS IN EUROPE SUMMARY Dynamics of demographic processes in information society has accelerated the process of aging society and changed the structure for the age of society. The advancement of technologies, globalization and demographic aging change the European society and encourage the policy makers to regard the demands of different generations. Social and economic alterations are especially felt in Europe where there are very vivid aging tendencies: global employment, a lack of competence and ability to use information technologies, health, possibilities of political and communal activity. The growth of aging society is a complex problem which asserts in national, regional, enterprise and individual level. The effective measures are created by strengthening the competitiveness of aging society and social cohesion as well as referring to strategies in pursuance of integration to social and economic politics. Thesis Problems of aging society in Europe initiates complicated social and economy changes which must be thoroughly appraised and predicted in order to take timely measures aimed at formation of global competitiveness concepts for the aging society which fit to new reality.