The socio-economical issues of elderly females in Malta

Abstract

We live in a society in which the future for the young may look rosy but as life goes by, it inevitably brings some disappointments in its train and we develop a more realistic and sometimes even bleak view of old age and its problems. The present generation of the elderly in western societies have experienced rapid social changes in history. Due to advancements in technology and education the knowledge of the old is viewed as out of date, thus the elderly have lost the reverence they once enjoyed as a result of their knowledge and wisdom. Further more the values and standards of the elderly of today are no longer generally accepted. We live in an age where, due to the effects of modernisation, emphasis is made on productivity and the elderly upon reaching retirement are considered useless to society. We live in a world of "planned obsolescence" where it appears that things are not built to last, where the emphasis is more on the young and new. As a result of these changes in attitudes, it is not surprising that the elderly tend to be ignored and undervalued in modern society. The evolution of societal attitudes, knowledge and way of living is a continuous process, thus it is quite possible for the present day working population to experience in their time a shorter day wand week and an earlier retirement age than what is the present day practice.