جامعه‌شناسی سیاسیِ سالخوردگی جمعیت

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

1 دانشجوی دکتری جامعه‌شناسی سیاسی، گروه علوم سیاسی، دانشکدۀ علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه رازی، کرمانشاه، ایران

2 استاد گروه علوم سیاسی، دانشکدۀ علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه رازی، کرمانشاه، ایران

3 استادیار گروه علوم سیاسی، دانشکدۀ علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه رازی، کرمانشاه، ایران

چکیده

پیر شدن جمعیت محصول گذار جمعیتی است که در آن، باروری و مرگ و میر از سطوح بالا به‌میزان پایینی کاهش پیدا می‌کند. نسبت افراد سالمند در جمعیت افزایش‌یافته و تعداد افراد‌ جوان کاهش می‌یابد. ابعاد و پیامدهای این مسأله، باوجود این واقعیت که در علوم اجتماعی، مانند: اقتصاد سالمندی جمعیت، روان‌شناسی پیری، جامعه‌شناسی سالمندی و غیره مورد تحلیل و ارزیابی قرار گرفته است، اما این موضوع از سوی جامعه‌شناسان و اندیشمندان سیاسى چندان موردتوجه واقع نشده است. بر این‌اساس، پژوهش حاضر بر آن است تا آثار و پیامدهای این مسأله را از منظر جامعه‌شناسی سیاسی در قالب نظریۀ عدم تعهد تئوریزه نماید. در این‌راستا، این‌که پیر شدن جمعیت چه تأثیراتی را به‌عنوان مثال، بر رفتار سیاسی شهروندان یا گرایشات انتخاباتی آن‌ها و یا بر مطالبات سیاسی آن‌ها از حکومت برجای می‌گذارد؛ و یا این‌که پیر شدن رهبران و سیاستمداران و تصمیم‌سازان چه آثار و تبعاتی را در رفتار و عملکرد حکومت‌ها، در بعد سیاست‌گذاری‌ها ایجاد خواهد نمود مورد تحلیل و واکاوی قرار خواهد گرفت. روندهای جمعیتی درمورد مسأله پیری، این واقعیت را تأیید می‌کند که هم شرایط فعلی و هم روندهای آیندۀ سالخوردگی جمعیت، به عرصۀ سیاست و قدرت مربوط می‌شود. در پژوهش حاضر با هدف تبیین و تحلیل موضوع و به‌منظور دست‌یابی به اطلاعات موردنیاز، از داده‌های کتابخانه‌ای، اسنادی استفاده شده است و روش به‌کار رفته در این پژوهش نیز تحلیلی-توصیفی می‌باشد. 

کلیدواژه‌ها

موضوعات


عنوان مقاله [English]

Political Sociology of Population Aging

نویسندگان [English]

  • Samira Moradi 1
  • Masoud Akhwan Kazemi 2
  • Mohammad Abolfathi 3
1 PhD student in Political Sociology, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran (Corresponding Author)
2 Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
چکیده [English]

Abstract
Aging population is the product of population transition in which fertility and mortality decrease from high to low levels. The proportion of elderly people in the population is increasing and the number of young people is decreasing. The dimensions and consequences of this issue, despite the fact that in social sciences, such as; The economics of population aging, psychology of aging, sociology of aging, etc. have been analyzed and evaluated, but this issue has not been paid much attention by sociologists and political thinkers. Based on this, the present research aims to theorize the effects and consequences of this issue from the perspective of political sociology in the form of the theory of non-commitment. In this regard, what effects does the aging of the population have, for example, on the political behavior of citizens or their electoral tendencies or on their political demands from the government; Or what effects and consequences the aging of leaders, politicians and decision-makers will have on the behavior and performance of governments, in the future of policy-making, will be analyzed and analyzed. Demographic trends on the issue of aging confirm the fact that both current conditions and future trends of population aging are related to politics and power. In this research, with the aim of explaining and analyzing the subject and in order to obtain the required information, library data and documents have been used, and the method used in this research is analytical-descriptive.
Keywords: Aging, sociology of aging, population aging, political sociology, lack of commitment.
 
1. Introduction
The analysis of the age structure of the population, which is considered the main interest of demographers, is not well understood by sociologists and political thinkers, and therefore it is necessary that, along with various social sciences that understand new dimensions of this phenomenon day by day. Political sociology should also pay serious attention to this issue through the lens of its epistemological foundations and especially evaluate and analyze the consequences of population aging from the perspective of this science. In this regard, in this research, an attempt is made to investigate and study the problem of population aging (without considering a specific country) theoretically, from the perspective of political sociology, and to be able to examine the problem of population aging from a new perspective and attitude. slow, and evaluate and analyze the determining dimensions and consequences of this issue on various aspects of social and political life. Based on this, the present research will try to examine the effects and consequences of this issue from the perspective of political sociology. What effects does the aging of the population have on the political behavior of citizens or their electoral tendencies or on their political demands from the government? Or what effects and consequences will the aging of leaders, politicians and decision makers have on the behavior and performance of governments. The results of the article show that the aging population, from the perspective of political sociology, has caused a decrease in the level of political activities and civil participation of citizens and pushes their demands from the political spheres to the spheres of welfare and health and social security. On the other hand, aging in the field of political leaders and politicians causes the reduction of aggressive and radical policies and the slowing down of fast and fundamental changes and causes a kind of conservative tendencies and behaviors in politics. Therefore, demographic trends on the issue of aging confirm the fact that both current conditions and future trends of population aging are related to politics and power.
 
2.Materials and Methods
According to the nature of the subject and research objectives and in order to obtain the required information and collect the materials, library data and documents have been used, based on various researches and researches conducted in the field of sociology of aging, psychology of population aging and old age, To study the phenomenon of population aging from the perspective of political sociology with a forward-looking perspective. The type of research is also applied and developmental. The method used in this research is analytical and explanatory and based on interdisciplinary studies (i.e. the combination of sociology, psychology and political science) and tries to theoretically analyze the issue of population aging from the perspective of political sociology. examine and analyze its dimensions and consequences from this aspect.
 
3. Discussion
3-1. Political sociology of population aging
In this article the consequences and effects of population aging will be analyzed and investigated from the perspective of political sociology and with the theoretical framework of non-commitment. First, the political sociology of aging people and then the political sociology of aging politicians and political leaders will be discussed.
3.1.1. Political sociology of aging people
In the aging society, since the elderly make up a significant percentage of the country’s population and the weight of this population group increases over time compared to other population groups and their role in political developments will increase with the increase of their proportion in the population. Among the most important issues in this field, the political attitude of the voters - young and old - towards the age of the election candidate, the political priorities of the voters (young and old), the reduction of the political participation of the elderly population, the reduction of social capital in the elderly society and the reduction of society’s institutions Madani is an old man in society.
 
3.1.2. Political sociology of the aging of rulers and political leaders
Along with the general aging of the workforce, one consequence of an aging world is that more leadership positions are held by older people than ever before. Psychological research has shown that older leaders have distinct characteristics compared to younger leaders. Therefore, this important includes things such as; Gerontocracy (the government of the elderly or gerontology), the influence of age and leadership in political systems, the expansion of conservatism of political leaders and away from the policies of rapid and fundamental changes, the aging of leaders and the reduction of international conflicts and the change of priorities towards the expansion of welfare policies.
 
4. Conclusion
The changes that older people face physically and mentally create different conditions that the non-commitment strategy refers to as active non-engagement. A situation that leads to a decrease in the amount of political participation, a decrease in social capital, a decrease in civil society institutions, and a decrease in political conflicts in the elderly society, because the elderly, in accordance with the strategy of non-commitment in the last years of life, gradually reduce their social connections with society and others. Data and at the same time the society also mutually separates the individual through the rational-legal requirements of the job system, changing the nature of the family, etc. As a result, elderly people reduce their activity level, look for more passive roles, and therefore the interaction of the elderly person in the social system, to which he belongs, decreases. Another consequence of the aging of the society is the change in the priorities, attitude and behavior of people regarding political issues, which are affected by the aging, needs and psychological and physiological changes of this period. Therefore, as examined, the electoral behavior of voters, voting patterns and political preferences of voters will be different in the old society. From the point of view of non-commitment theory, the important consequences of this change in behavior, priority and political attitude, in addition to the movement of the society towards conservatism and the reduction of the tendency to accept innovation and reforms in the society, are the management of leadership positions by older people more than ever before. Elderly political leaders whose physical and cognitive abilities have decreased due to old age and can have consequences such as the spread of gerontocracy, the spread of conservatism and away from the policies of quick and fundamental changes, the change of priorities towards the expansion of welfare policies, the reduction of international conflicts and the reduction of political ambitions. To have together older leaders tend to behave more ideologically than strategically while in office.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • Aging
  • sociology of aging
  • population aging
  • political sociology
  • lack of commitment
- اسیری، شهلا؛ و فروغان، مهشید، (1396). «نگاهی تازه به سالمندی: ژروترانسندنس». چهارمین کنفرانس بین‌المللی روان‌شناسی علوم‌تربیتی و مطالعات اجتماعی. https://civilica.com/doc/662935 
- باستانی، سوسن؛ اعظم‌آزاده، منصوره؛ و سلطانی، فاطمه، (1388). «شبکه‌های اجتماعی و رفتار رأی‌دهی جوانان در شهر مشهد». جامعه‌شناسی ایرا ن، 10(3): 26-3. DOR: 20.1001.1.17351901.1388.10.3.1.7
- بوژمهرانی، حسن، (1392). «تأثیر پیر شدن ترکیب جمعیتی ایران بر وضعیت سرمایۀ اجتماعی». دانش انتظامی گلستان، 5 (17): 23-8. 
- سترستن، ریچارد؛ و آنجل، ژاکلین، (1394). دستنامه جامعه شناسی سالمندی: روندها و نظریه‌ها. تهران: مؤسسه چاپ و انتشارات دانشگاه تهران. 
- شجاعی، جواد، (1391). «جمعیت شناسی سیاسی میشل اس. تیتل بام». جمعیت، 80: 114-101. http://noo.rs/yMbAg
- شیخی، محمدتقی، (1389). دستنامه جامعه‌شناسی سالمندی. تهران: انتشارات حریر.
- عامری‌فروغ، گلناز؛ گواری، فاطمه؛ نظری، طاهره؛ رشیدی‌نژاد، معصومه؛ و پورانا، فشارزاده، (1380). «تعاریف و نظریه‌های سالمندی». حیات، 7 (3): 13-4. https://hayat.tums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-25-307&slc_lang=fa&sid=1 
- فتحی، الهام، (1399). پدیدۀ سالمندی جمعیت در ایران و آینده آن. تهران: پژوهشکدن آمار.
- قیصریان، اسحاق، (1388). «بررسی ابعاد اجتماعی، اقتصادی پدیده سالمندی در ایران». جمعیت، 70-69: 28-1.  http://noo.rs/8wWBq 
- ملک‌زاده، امیر؛ و هاشمی، سیدمحمد، (1395). «ویژگی‌های جامعه مدنی در ارتباط با تحقیقات پلیسی». انتظام اجتماعی، 8(4): 85-114. SID. https://sid.ir/paper/517605/fa
- میرشکاری، جواد، (1396). گروه واژه گزینی. ویراستار. دفتر نهم، فرهنگ واژه‌های مصوب فرهنگستان، تهران: انتشارات فرهنگستان زبان و ادب فارسی.
- ونسان، کارادک، (1390). جامعه‌شناسی پیری و پیرشدگی. مترجم: سوسن کباری. تهران: انتشارات جامعه شناسان. 
- Ameri Forogh, G., Guvari, F., Nazari, T., Rashidinejad, M. & Purana, C., (1380). “Definitions and theories of aging”. Hayat Quarterly, 7 (3): 4-13. (In Persian)
- Asiri, Sh. & Foroughan, M., (2016). “A new look at old age: Gerotranscendence”. The 4th International Conference on Psychology, Educational Sciences and Social Studies. https://civilica.com/doc/662935 (In Persian). 
- Barbosa Neves, B., Fonseca, J. R. S., Amaro, F. & Pasqualotti, A., (2018). “Social capital and Internet use in an age-comparative perspective with a focus on later life”. PloS one, 13(2): e0192119. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192119.
- Bastani, S., Azam Azadeh, M. & Soltani, F., (1388). “Social networks and voting behavior of young people in Mashhad”. Journal of Sociology Iran, 10(3): 3-26. (In Persian). 
- Bertoli, A., Dafoe, A. & Trager, R., (2016). The Young and the Reckless: Leaders and Interstate Conflict: 1-11.
- Bozhmehrani, H., (2012). “The effect of Iran’s demographic aging on the state of social capital”. Golestan Police Science Quarterly, 5 (17): 8-23. (In Persian)
- Byun, J. & Carson, A., (2023). “More than a Number: Aging Leaders in International Politics”. International Studies Quarterly, 67(1): sqad008. 
- Cumming, E., Dean, L. R., Newell, D. S. & McCaffrey, I., (1960). “Disengagement-a tentative theory of aging”. Sociometry, 23(1): 23-35.‏
- Cumming, E., Dean, L. R., Newell, D. S. & McCaffrey, I., (1960). “Disengagement-a tentative theory of aging”. Sociometry, 23(1): 23-35.‏
- Cutler, S. J. & Hendricks, J., (2000). “Age differences in voluntary association memberships: Fact or artifact”. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 55(2): S98-S107.‏
- Förstl, H., (2020). “Aging heads of state: the politics of dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders’. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 49(2): 121-128.
- Goerres, A., (2007). Political participation of older people in Europe. London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom).‏
- Goerres, A., (2008). “The grey vote: Determinants of older voters’ party choice in Britain and West Germany”. Electoral Studies, 27(2): 285-304. 
- Holland, J. L., (2013). Age gap? The influence of age on voting behavior and political preferences in the American electorate. Washington State University. 
- Horowitz, M., McDermott, R. & Stam, A. C., (2005). “Leader age, regime type, and violent international relations”. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49(5): 661-685.‏ 
- ILO., (2021). Trade unions in transition: What will be their role in the future of work?. 
- Kaysarian, I., (2008) “Investigation of the social and economic aspects of the phenomenon of aging in Iran”. Population Quarterly, 69-70: 1-28. (In Persian)
- Kirkpatrick, M., (2023). What Is a Gerontocracy? A Government Ruled by the Elderly. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-is-a-gerontocracy?mbid
- Leuprecht, C., (2010). “International Security Strategy and Global Population Aging”. Journal of Strategic Security, 3(4): 27-48
- Lopez, M., (2019). “How important is age when it comes to holding political office? Depends on whom you ask”. available in: https://www.thedenverchannel.com/meghan-lopez.
- Magni‐Berton, R. & Panel, S., (2021). “Gerontocracy in a comparative perspective: Explaining why political leaders are (almost always) older than their constituents”. Sociology Compass, 15(1): e12841. 
- Malekzadeh, A. & Hashemi, S. M., (2015). “Characteristics of civil society in relation to police investigations”. Social Order, 8(4): 85-114. SID. https://sid.ir/paper/517605/fa (In Persian) 
- Mayer, J., (2020). Dianne Feinstein’s Missteps Raise a Painful Age Question Among Senate Democrats. The New Yorker, Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- Miah, Md. Abdur-R., (2019). “Social Theories Of Ageing”. See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337622643. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.23716.42885. 
- Mirshkari, J., (2016). Word selection group. the editor Ninth Office Dictionary of words approved by the academy. Tehran: Persian Language and Literature Academy Publications. (In Persian)
- Noah, Timothy. (2020). “America, the Gerontocracy”. Politico. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September. 
- Pathath, A. W., (2017). “Theories of aging”. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 4(3): 15-22.
- Peterson, J. C., Smith, K. B. & Hibbing, J. R., (2020). “Do people really become more conservative as they age?”. J. Polit., 82 (2): 600–611. 
- Post, J. M., (1980). “The seasons of a leader’s life: Influences of the life cycle on political behavior”. Political Psychology, 2(3/4): 35-49.‏
- Quintelier, E., (2007). “Differences in political participation between young and old people”. Contemporary Politics, 13(2): 165-180.
- Razin, A. & Schwemmer, A., (2022). “Ageing and Welfare State Policy: A Macroeconomic Perspective”. Journal of Government and Economics, 5: 100030.‏
- Roberts, D. C. & Wolak, J., (2022). “Do Voters Care about the Age of their Elected Representatives?”. Political Behavior: 1-20.‏ 
- Rosing, K. & Jungmann, F., (2015). “Leadership and aging”. Encyclopedia of geropsychology: 1-8.
- Saha, L. J. & Edwards, K., (2007). Youth and Political Participation. BRILL. 
- Schmidhauser, J. R., (1958). “The political behavior of older persons: a discussion of some frontiers in research”. Western Political Quarterly, 11(1): 113-124.‏
- Settersen, R. & Engel, J., (2014). Handbook of the sociology of aging: trends and theories. Tehran: University of Tehran Printing and Publishing Institute. (In Persian)
- Sevi, S., (2021). “Do young voters vote for young leaders?”. Electoral Studies, 69: 102200.‏
- Sheikhi, M. T., (1389). Handbook of the sociology of aging. Tehran: Harir Publications. (In Persian)
- Shiraev, E., (2021). “The Aging Leader: Approaching Age As A Factor In International Relations”. Вестник Санкт-Петербургского Университета. Международные Отношения, 14 (4): 446-455.
- Shojaei, J., (2011). “The Political Demography of Michelle S. Tittlebaum”. Population Quarterly, 80: 101-114. (In Persian)
- Simonton, D. K., (1980). “Land battles, generals, and armies: Individual and situational determinants of victory and casualties”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38(1): 110–119. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.38.1.110 
- Sloam, J. & Henn, M., (2019). Rejuvenating politics: Young political participation in a changing world. Youthquake 2017: The rise of young cosmopolitans in Britain, 17-42.‏ 
- Solevid, M. & Scheiber Gyllenspetz, A. I., (2022). “Capability and political participation among ageing populations”. A multidisciplinary approach to capability in age and ageing, 233-248.‏
- Stoecker, R. & Witkovsky, B., (2023). “Elder Civic Engagement and Rural Community Development”. Ageing international, 48(2): 526–546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-022-09488-4
- Thoits, P. A., (2011). “Mechanisms linking social ties and support to physical and mental health”. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52(2): 145–161.
- Thompson, (2020). Why Do Such Elderly People Run America?. https://www theatlantic-com.translate.goog/ideas/archive/2020/03/why-are-these-people-so-freaking-old/607492.
- Tilley, J., (2005). “Research note: libertarian-authoritarian value change in Britain 1974- 2001”. Polit. Stud., 53: 442–453. 
- Tilley, J. & Evans, G., (2014). “Ageing and generational effects on vote choice: combining cross-sectional and panel data to estimate APC effects”. Elect. Stud., 33 (1): 19–27. 
- United Nations, (2005). World Population Prospects: the 2004 revision. Vol. 1, 2 and 3, New York.
- Walker, A., (1981). “Towards a Political Economy of Old Age”. Ageing and Society, 1: 73–94.
- Walter, F. & Scheibe, S., (2013). “A literature review and emotion-based model of age and leadership: New directions for the trait approach”. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(6): 882–901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.10.003 
- Winkler, H., (2015). “How will ageing populations affect politics?”. available in: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/06
- Zhang, J. & Lu, N., (2019). “What Matters Most for Community Social Capital among Older Adults Living in Urban China: The Role of Health and Family Social Capital”. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(4): 558. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16040558
- Vincent, K., (2019). Sociology of aging. translator: Susan Kobari Tehran: Sociologists Publications. (In Persian)