Active Citizenship of Senior Citizens: Benefitting the ... - login-edu.de

Education for the effective participation of senior citizens in societyFriday 24 th of October 2008 at Verona, ItalyActive Citizenship of Senior Citizens:Benefitting the individual Senior and the CommunityDr. Peter Zeman, German Centre of Gerontology (DZA)1 Two-fold-benefit (Introduction)2 Challenges and Chances3 Focus: Municipalities and the Local Government Level4 How do Older People contribute?5 Senior friendly and generation friendly6 Incalculable Benefits for community7 Barriers and Requirements for Active Citizenship8 Active Citizenship - Life enhancing for Senior Citizens9 Conclusion1 Two-fold-benefit (Introduction)Active Citizenship – particularly when we are talking about older people – has a twofoldbenefit.For those seniors who are themselves participating, Active Citizenship means fora start that they are active and productive. It means repeatedly seeking freshchallenges and new feelings of achievement. Social recognition, new contacts andthe constant experiencing of incentives to remain physically and mentally fit. All ofwhich is beneficial to health and enhances life satisfaction. Active Citizenship assomething that energises, strengthens and enriches life in old age.And how does society and community benefit?The first point here is that because engagement is vitalising, energising andenriching, and because it contributes so much to independence, self-reliance andhealth in old age, it eases the economic burdens on society. Active old people do not1229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

If so many older people want to play a part in shaping society and if they are allowedto do so, this is bound to leave its mark on society as a whole, including the imageyoung people have of old age and their own expectations of it. So much for thegerontological aspects. From the political science perspective, of greatest interest arethe democracy and governance aspects, the gain in scope for political development.As a general rule, government decisions are made legitimate in the first instance inrepresentative democracies by people going to the polls. Yet to tackle more complexissues and even to legitimize political decisions, much more direct forms of politicalparticipation are called for than elections held at 4-5 year intervals and a muchcloser cooperation between the state and civil society is required.Leaving aside the limits imposed by economic globalisation on the ability ofpoliticians to influence events at the national level, even in the area of localgovernment, politicians and administrators are largely confined to formulatingobjectives, determining directions, creating frameworks, giving ideas and incentivesand acting as arbitrators where interests collide.3. Focus: Municipalities and the local government levelLet’s stay at the local government level for a while. Here demographic change is nolonger a problem for the future. Today already, the range of facilities, services andinstitutions supplying services of general interest need to be adjusted quantitativelyand qualitatively to a population that is ageing quite dramatically and often dwindlingin numbers.New demands made on the local provision of services of general interest often leadto a widening of the funding gap, particularly when ageing and shrinking populationscoincide in the search for employment. Of course these are not new developments;the depopulation of many regions in Europe has been going on for some time. Butdemographic change is giving it new dimensions. The financial pressure to cut publicservices is also increasing in prosperous countries. Here too, local governments arebeing forced to abolish services and supply or to privatize them. The state can nolonger manage on its own. But neither can the market – given that companies haveto make profits and many services can longer be supplied profitably and become socostly as to be no longer affordable for lower income groups. The problem isaugmented by local government surrendering its ability to exert influence byprivatizing services of general interest and thus losing the last vestiges of politicalcontrol. Another perspective would be on the one hand to strengthen themanoeuvrability and overall responsibility of local governments while at the sametime getting on board the private sector and, as a third partner, civil society in the4229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

friendliness” as incompatible with the interests of younger age groups and, in myview; they too would often rate a generation-friendly city more highly than an agefriendlyone. As in the case of technical appliances, here too the concept of a “designfor all” is given preference over special “senior models”. Design that is good for olderpeople is also comfortable for younger people – and conversely a design speciallytailored to the young can easily become a barrier for the old.5. Senior friendly and generation friendlySenior friendly is often generation friendly too. For instance, when designing,furnishing and equipping public areas. One example is safety, lighting and theoccupant-friendly layout of public areas: safety, freedom from fear and comfort arealso appreciated by parents, mothers and women and are equally important forchildren and young people. Another example are opportunities for exercise, cycling,walking, etc.: the corresponding paths and spaces are of course also important forother groups. Don’t people who work mainly with computers and get little exerciseneed parks, cycle tracks and other recreation facilities just as much as older people?(Grymer, Köster, et al., 2005).Admittedly, generations tend to stick together. This is also true of the civilengagement area. Older people are more committed to helping needy, sick andlonely older people. But increasingly, there are older people who are involved inintergenerational projects for children and young people outside their own family.These include many who have no family of their own in the vicinity. In any case, mostcivil engagement activities take place among mixed aged groups. All generations andolder people especially appreciate that working together on something is moreimportant than the age of the participants; and also that particularly good results areachieved when different generations contribute their different abilities.Active Citizenship also means facing up to conflicts. Tackling conflicting interests inthe political arena, but also resolving them. This too we experience at the local level:the use of public areas is not without conflict. And a generation-friendly city is notalways harmonious. Should an old-established shop around the corner, soconvenient for old people to drop by, make way for a day-care centre for children,also needed by that district? Should the building site near the city centre that wouldbe ideal for flats for seniors really be filled with new offices? And what about theseniors who live near a children’s’ playground having their peace continuallyshattered? Or when the cycle lanes in a park are continually used by walkers andcyclists speed along the footpaths?Here too, Active Citizenship by seniors can make a contribution. Older people whoare committed and dedicated to the public good can intervene and act as mediators.6229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

They can contribute to solutions being sought by all those involved without relying onadministrative measures which – as municipal rules that bypass those involved – areadhered to by no one. (c.f.: Grymer, Köster et al., P. 36 f.).6 Incalculable benefits for CommunityLadies and Gentlemen,The value to society of Active Citizenship by seniors is indeed difficult to measure –although attempts are often made to estimate its monetary value. There are, forexample, estimates in Germany that put the informal, voluntary activities of olderpeople overall at over 40 billion Euros (Künemund 2006). And English sources putthe monetary value of these activities at over 31 billion Euros (Help the Aged 2008,2).In a cost-benefit comparison between the funds invested in the German modelprogramme “Experience for Initiatives EFI” (organisation, support, advice, furthereducation) and the voluntary services of the older people it sponsored in adisseminator role – the so-called Senior Trainers – it was ascertained that the benefitis almost 20 times higher than the cost (Engels, Braun & Burmeister 2007).All these calculations sound quite impressive. They can also be used as argumentsby administrators of public funds when subsidies are involved. As a method they arenot particularly convincing. One key benefit of engagement by older people thatshould not be underestimated (although even more difficult to calculate) is of coursethe positive effect on the health and autonomy of the older people involved.In my view, the value to society of Active Citizenship by seniors can hardly beexpressed in figures. It has dimensions that far exceed economic effects alone.The best description we could use here would be „social capital“.The ageing societies of Europe are marked by a number of differing internalinterests. Social inequality is on the increase and will become more of a factor infuture among the old in particular. Old-age poverty can be expected to return to theaffluent nations too. At the same time, harsh comments are made on the subject ofdistribution conflicts between the generations and a lack of intergenerationalequity to the advantage of the old and the detriment of the young are referred to inharsh terms. The media have been talking up the “war of the generations” fordecades. Even if we present scientific facts to the contrary and appeal fordifferentiation and moderation, the negative effect on the image of older people anderosion of social cohesion persists. Cohesion in society needs trust, solidarity andthe readiness to cooperate – „social capital“ in fact. In ageing societies and againstthe backdrop of demographic horror scenarios, a lot of social capital needs to be7229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

accumulated if we are to overcome actual and conjured up differences between thegenerations and deal with any unavoidable conflicts constructively.Conclusions so far:The civil engagement of seniors, their Active Citizenship, makes a vital contribution topreserving and increasing their social capital, thus making it a key source in societyfor trust and solidarity. (cf. BMFSFJ, 2004, P. 43f).Through their engagement, older people demonstrate that they continue to bevaluable potential for the shaping of a society worth living in. They thus challenge thenegative images of old age and take some of the wind out of the sails of the so-called“burden on society” debate with its indiscriminate focus on the social costs of old age.As Active Citizens, older people prove that there is no conflict between beingresponsible for themselves and for others and that self-interest and community spiritcan be reconciled. Older people in Europe have the same rights as all other citizensand – this needs to be continually pointed out – they retain these rights if theybecome sick and in need of care. Close attention needs to be paid to these rightsbeing adhered to and no one is, for instance, discriminated against and excluded ongrounds of age. Some older people, perhaps still a kind of avant-garde in someplaces, define themselves not only as citizens who vote, abide by the law and availthemselves of their citizens rights, but also as Active Citizens. I have tried to arguethat this is something much more than just being a good citizen which makes itimmensely valuable for European nations – as well as being something that moneycannot buy. So far so good, but…..7. Barriers and Requirements…“But the powers that be do what they want anyway.”This is what many people think and for them Active Citizenship is an empty phrase.Many older people think this way too. This attitude has nothing to do with age either.It has more to do with disillusionment with politics and a readiness to participatefrustrated by the realisation that active involvement is not really wanted and just getsin the way, that nothing can be changed even if you do get politically involved – andwithout doubt, a great lack of transparency on the part of politicians and those inadministration.Active Citizenship in fact needs a corresponding pool in Good Governance.Governments must grasp a readiness to help in shaping society and an identificationwith common welfare. Opportunities to participate and contribute must be created in8229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

the preparatory stage of political decision-making. Joseph M. Bessette has describedthis as “deliberative democracy” (Bessette, 1980, 1994). 1However, allegations that politicians are out of touch and high-handed are sometimesused to justify reluctance to take responsibility.This brings us to the question of civil obligations and with senior citizens in mind,we recall a debate that has reappeared regularly in Germany since the 1980’s. Themain thrust of the theory is that older people become on retirement recipients oftransfers of public benefits and are thus “exempt” from social productivity – a luxurythat ageing societies cannot afford. In this context the expression re-engagement isused. But this is not always voluntary.In the debate in Germany, the concept of an obligatory social year was used to testthe waters.The reaction was not slow to follow and was vehement, although the arguments usedvaried considerably. No legal basis for such a measure said some, counterproductivefor the civil engagement cause, said others and older people in particularfound the idea devaluing. Not only in relation to their life’s work, but also to the manyvoluntary and informal activities they perform.This kind of voluntary self-commitment, on the other hand, found universalapproval. Many older people go as far as to say that they want to give backsomething to society. But they make it clear that their engagement is not only in theinterest of society, but in their own interest – as expressed by the terms “lifeenhancement“ and “life enrichment“. This brings us further to the other side of thewin-win scenario.8. Active Citizenship - life enhancing for senior citizensI have already touched on the benefits of Active Citizenship for the older people whoengage in it at several points in this talk. It is more important to focus on thisindividual benefit than to recall the benefits for society because individual benefit isthe pre-requisite for the benefit to society as a whole. Active Citizenship as we1 For the theory of “deliberative democracy” see also: Seyla Benhabib, James Boman, Joshua Cohen, Jon Elster,James S. Fishkin, Amy Gutmann, Jürgen Habermas, Dennis Thompson9229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

understand it almost always entails great personal input. So there must be goodreasons to do it in the first place.I have already mentioned older people being motivated by the wish to help influencethe way society develops. Another very important motive is seeing theirengagement as something that needs to be done and for which it is hard to recruitpeople. This demonstrates not only a highly ethical self-commitment –erroneouslycalled into question in the re-engagement debate.It also demonstrates a special sensitivity to social hardship and the propensity tointervene personally and not to look away or wait for the government to dosomething about it. This attitude goes hand in hand with many positive expectationswhich add up more to the desire to experience enrichment than to self-sacrifice onbehalf of a cause. What is defined as expectation could also be interpreted as aseeking to gain something personally, a search for the positive experiences that areotherwise lacking. What expectations are mentioned in this context? The activityshould be fun, there is the expectation of helping others, to do something for thecommunity, meet nice people, extend one’s own knowledge and experience, takeresponsibility and make decisions, find recognition, to be able to act according toone’s own legitimate interests and confront and solve one’s own problems.I have already mentioned the activity and productivity, the challenges and sense ofachievement associated with Active Citizenship, the social recognition, new contacts,of the incentive to stay fit physically and mentally. The value of all of this for healthand satisfaction in old age is not just an idea but something that is backed up byscientific studies, by gerontological activity research and of course by personalexperience. The importance of an active, productive old age is today uncontested,the link between activities and a healthy and contented old age, even extendedlongevity, can be demonstrated.Back in the sixties, there was a dispute among gerontologists as to whethercontentment in old age is due more to withdrawal than to activity. According to thetheory of disengagement, ageing is accompanied by a gradual withdrawal fromsocial roles, responsibilities and obligations. It occurs voluntarily and correspondswith the wishes of those who are ageing. The activity theory challenged this,emphasising the importance of continuity over the life course. Successful and hencecontented old age could best be achieved if the key roles and responsibilities ofmiddle age were continued more or less without interruption, or, where this is notpossible, replaced as best as possible. Today we know that neither option isuniversally valid: in some aspects of life there is a striving for uninterrupted activity,10229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

in others more of a voluntary withdrawal – individual circumstances and the ongoingageing process make a big difference here.As a general rule, however, it can be asserted that a reservoir of talents, interestsand values are accumulated over the life course that should be upheld for as long aspossible and not abruptly ended with the onset of old age. Many people also neednot only to use this reservoir effectively in old age in productive activities but also toextend it. In this way they seek to counter the underchallenging they experiencewhen they are not longer professionally challenged. The post-professional phasedoes leave more space for self-fulfilment, but it means that social feedback has to beobtained elsewhere. Skills that are not used can easily be lost and the lack ofopportunity to make good use of them can turn into mental stress. The feeling thatskills are becoming redundant and no longer required is experienced as a threat toself-esteem.Active ageing in the form of meaningful, productive activity can prevent this. Thisactivity also serves as training to stabilise physical and mental health and keep themind alert.It is only through active ageing that the post-professional phase of life can beexperienced as a new “realm of possibility” and with it the hope of achievingpersonal gain from this late freedom, as the Viennese gerontologist LeopoldRosenmayr called it. Activity alone can test whether the practical options inherent inthe post-professional phase can be put into effect in reality. The driving force in thisprocess is, as we know from older people who engage in productive activity, often asearch for a kind of satisfaction and quality of life, a search that does not end with oldage and which could well be termed a search for happiness.If you think about it, you realise that in old age too, happiness has many differentfacets. The German philosopher and happiness researcher Wilhelm Schmid talksinter alia about happiness and the fullness of joy. Happiness means primarily health,and being successful. Both of these are worth striving for in old age, for the veryreason that they are threatened and there is a lot the individual can do to achieveboth. Yet experience teaches us that this happiness always has to be fought for. Atsome point – with some effort on our part this moment in life can be postponed to arelatively late stage – we no longer have the strength to do this, though this is all veryrelative. The fullness of joy is more lasting, because it accepts not only the positive,but also the inevitable contrasting experiences. Pain, failure and affliction are part ofthe fullness of joy. We can draw a parallel here with what gerontologists call“resilience”, meaning a particularly robust mental quality of old age or also with whatconventional wisdom calls the serenity of old age.11229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

But according to Wilhelm Schmidt, a person seeking happiness is in reality seekingmeaning. According to him, it is meaning that increasingly motivates people todayand – we can add – this also applies to older people. But meaning needs context.Activity thus gives meaning if it is embedded in context and also creates context of itsown. This is also the key message of active old age. Help for others also givesmeaning. There is meaning where there is participation, the feeling of belonging,being listened to and taking part in discussions. To feel like the citizen of a society.Let us try to be more precise about what life satisfaction through ActiveCitizenship can mean. Definitely more than always having fun. And quite differentfrom the kind of health spa promise of wellbeing achieved with a minimum of effort.Satisfaction with life can also be the result of being part of a development process,testing one’s own abilities as reflected by others and in effective action in a so-calledprocess and product utility context, learning from this, pursuing goals that are notonly personal but also relevant to society. In brief, to experience that “there’s ameaning to it all”.I shall at this point stop elaborating on the benefits of Active Citizenship for olderactive citizens. The benefits are at any rate more than enough to justify becoming asenior activist. This is perhaps our most important message. But let me briefly sketchout some future prospects and make a short concluding commentary.9. New Roles for Old Age on the Horizon (Conclusions)Ladies and Gentlemen, there is still not adequate recognition of the importance of anactive role in old age. Older people are still as a group perceived as a focus of fearsfor society and about the future.But as the importance of old age in Europe increases – not only through agrowing need for care but also through the presence of fit, educated and often wellsituated older people and increasing differentiation within in our ageing societies – iswill become important not to lose sight of the need for socially productive old-ageroles and most importantly the nurturing of social capital.The general principle of active, participating old age has not been gaining inattractiveness for some time now. It is primarily in the form of an older person as anactive citizen that individual and social perspectives combine in the sense of a“win-win scenario”.12229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1

The way in which we define the role of old age makes a decisive impact on theviability of ageing societies. Are older people primarily clients and patients? Are theymainly of interest as consumers – the keyword here is “silver market“? Or do peoplewho are ready and able to do so find productive roles with public responsibility andscope for shaping events after their working life has ended – in Active Citizenship forinstance? And how can society support them effectively in this process?I know that your SEVIR project has been looking for answers in the education policyfield – and education is definitely an important element here.The question of how Active Citizenship can be developed further is, however,directed more at older people themselves than at society. How great is the interest ofolder people themselves in active ageing, in playing an active and responsible role insociety? What do their individual cost-benefit estimates look like? Are they sufficientlyaware of the possible gains in quality of life that engagement of this kind can bringand is this being sufficiently endorsed by practical experience?A further growth of Active Citizenship by seniors would throw an optimistic light onthe future of old age in the ageing societies of Europe. There is an urgent need forolder people to fill this role. The great chance lies in matching individual requirementsto the needs of society. This win-win scenario is not just a desire, its qualitative valuefor both sides can be identified fairly accurately – although difficult to express interms to money.Active Citizenship by European seniors can be given a decisive boost bynetworking activities like SEVIR. We can expect that international programmes ofthis kind will continue to enhance the two-fold benefit involved, that it will attractgreater notice as a programme and that throughout the whole of Europe more olderpeople will join the ranks of the active citizens. There are undoubtedly enough peoplewho are seeking this kind of challenge.13229992-CP-1_2006-1-DE-Grundtvig-G1