2.3.1 Social and Human Capital of the Older Generation

Research Area 2. Demography and Active Ageing  → Research Program 2.3 Social and Human capital of the Older Generation

Project period

2020-2025

Context of Research Project within a Subject of Human Capital

A significant part of the answers to the challenges of ageing and meeting the public demand for an increase in healthy life expectancy lies in the sphere of active ageing policy aimed at creating conditions conducive to the maintenance of human and social capital throughout a person's life and the fullest realization of the potential of labor, economic and social activities. Ensuring sustainable socio-economic development after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic will depend even more on the way societies will be able to create conditions for the accumulation, maintenance and enrichment of human and social capital and, especially, for the maintenance of health throughout the life course.

The research project Social and Human Capital of the Older Generation will compensate the shortage of comprehensive data on older people. These data will help to assess the state of health of older people in relation to their socio-economic characteristics and to peculiarities of their behavior and social ties

Project Aim

To study the composition of the social and human capital of the older generation, and factors of its accumulation, saving and usage

Project Objectives:

1. To develop the substantive and organizational model for joining Russia to the European program SHARE (Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe) directed to comprehensive research of older people; to provide organizational and advisory support for the Russian survey in the framework of the 10th and 11th rounds of the European Social Survey (ESS)
2. To study the perceived age discrimination and its factors, the phenomenon of ageism and assessments of the status of older people in the mass consciousness in Russia and other European countries. To assess the differences between older and younger Russians in their quality of life, subjective well-being, basic values, and trust, to follow the dynamics of age inequality and to identify its factors
3. To analyze the nature of familial and intergenerational relations and their impact on the subjective well-being and quality of life of older people; to study the kinship care in the context of accessibility of formal care (social care and long-term care); to study the impact of kinship care on the subjective well-being of its recipients and providers
4. To assess cross-country differences in the intensity of health deterioration and in the accumulation of functional, cognitive and self-care impairments in older ages. To look for the new opportunities to prevent the cognitive impairment
5. To analyze the correlations between health characteristics, healthy behavior, social capital and the health-related quality of life of the elderly population in a comparative cross-country perspective
6. To identify the socio-economic models of ageing at the individual level through the analysis of intergenerational relations, social contacts, social participation and activity of older people in European countries and in Russia

Key Findings

2020

The substantive and organizational model has been developed for joining Russia to the European program SHARE (Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe) and to the next round of the European Social Survey

2021

A special database (Eucalyptus epidemiologic survey) has been prepared for conducting pilot calculations in the study of health and self-preservation behavior of the middle-aged and older population (taking into account the epidemiological threats).

The differences between older and younger Russians in terms of subjective well-being (quality of life) and basic values have been analyzed, the dynamics of these differences have been traced. The dynamics of the national Active Ageing Index (AAI) has been analyzed as well. The analysis of the social status of elderly people in Russia and other post-communist countries has been carried out on the basis of representative sociological surveys.

The methodology for qualitative sociological research of models of adaptation of elderly nursing homes and psychoneurological nursing homes in Russia to the coronavirus pandemic has been developed, criteria for the selection of regions and institutions for research have been formulated. 30 interviews have been conducted with competent employees of these institutions, representatives of regional ministries of labor and social protection, as well as with members of NGOs in 12 subjects of the Russian Federation. As a result, the main challenges that nursing homes had to face during the pandemic have been identified, and a model for classifying institutions by their adaptation strategies has been developed.

The national representative surveys have been carried out and databases have been created within the framework of Russian participation in two international comparative projects - in the European Study of Health, Aging and Life Trajectories in Retirement (SHARE) and in the European Social Survey

2022

Data from the National Survey of the Older Generation (NSOG) and the The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) shows that the Russian population aged 50 years and older seems to have more significant health losses during the pandemic than their peers from European countries. Among the possible reasons are lower vaccination coverage, less strict compliance with sanitary standards and, as a result, more significant damage to health caused directly by the coronavirus, as well as more frequent problems with access to medical services that could worsen the course of non-communicable chronic diseases.

 The proportion of the population aged 50 years and older who noted a deterioration in their health during the pandemic, %

2023

According to the data of the National Study of the Older Generation (NISP) in 2021, it is shown:

• impaired physical health is one of the leading factors of negative emotional experiences and mental health problems in older age
• more pronounced signs of depression and a feeling of loneliness in the fall of 2021 were typical for elderly people with a lack of self-care, as well as for those who managed to get sick with coronavirus
• subjective loneliness is largely associated with the negative emotional state of widowed elderly; comparative cross—country analysis has shown that this relationship in Russia is stronger than in China
• In Russia, only the excellent health of the elderly (according to self-assessment) makes a positive contribution to the overall emotional state; in China, this effect is observed through both excellent and good health which may be due to differences in social and cultural norms regarding the well-being of the elderly
• In Russia, a negative emotional state is manifested in elderly people living alone over the age of 80, regardless of the manifestation of subjective loneliness; at this age, other factors related to physical health and standard of living have a more significant negative impact (figure)

The average values of the negative emotional state factor among widowed women in Russia and China

Educational Programs

Human Potential Management Course. Public Administration Master's Program

Projects of young scientists within the framework of the competition of the Foundation for the Development of Applied Research

Mental health of people of different ages during the COVID-19 pandemic and socio-economic changes in 2022: vulnerable groups and ways of support, 2022

Loneliness in old age in Russia: exclusivity or solitude?, 2023

Publications

1. Rudnev M. The Social Status of Older People in a Comparative Perspective: Features of Post-Communist Countries (RU) // Sociological Journal, Volume 27 No. 4 (2021)
2. Report (RU) Long-Term Care System: Lessons from International Experience for Russia. Authors: E. Selezneva, O. Sinyavskaya, E. Yakushev, E. Gorvat, N. Grishchenko, D. Kareva. Higher School of Economics, Moscow: HSE, 2022
3. Report Social Protection in Russia Before and After the Pandemic: Forks of the Future (RU). Authors: E. Andreeva, S. Biryukova, N. Voronina, E. Gorvat, E. Gorina, A. Goryainova, D. Kareva, M. Nagernyak, E. Nazarbayeva, A. Pishnyak, D. Pomazkin, D. Popova, E. Selezneva, O. Sinyavskaya, S. Ter-Akopov, M. Ustinova, N. Khalina. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow: HSE, 2022
4. Report Platform Employment: Definition and Regulation (RU). Authors: O. Sinyavskaya, S. Biryukova, A. Apothecary, E. Gorvat, N. Grishchenko, T. Gudkova, D. Kareva. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, HSE, 2022
5. Report The Russian Pension System in the Context of Long-term Challenges and National Development Goals (RU). Authors: O. Sinyavskaya, E. Yakushev, A. Chervyakova. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow: HSE, 2022
6. Sinyavskaya O.V., Chervyakova A.A. Active longevity in Russia in conditions of economic stagnation: what does the dynamics of the active longevity index show? //Monitoring public opinion: economic and social changes. – 2022. – №. 5 (171). – Pp. 94-121. doi
7. Platform employment in Russia: scales, motives and barriers of participation [Electronic resource]: analytical report / O. V. Sinyavskaya, S. S. Biryukova, E. S. Gorvat, D. E. Kareva, D. A. Stuzhuk, K. O. Chertenkov; National research. Higher School of Economics Univ., Moscow: Higher School of Economics, 2022. — Electron. text. given.
8.  Selezneva E.V., Sharepina E.A., Kareva D.E. "Accessibility of medical care in the COVID-19 pandemic for the elderly population of Russia",// Research  Digest  No. 12 (29). 2023.
9. Kareva D. E., Sinyavskaya O. V., Sharepina E. A. Models of adaptation of inpatient social service institutions to the coronavirus pandemic //Journal of Social Policy Research. – 2023. – vol. 21. – No. 1. – pp. 61-78. doi
10. Magun V. S. Evolution of the basic values of the Russian population, 2006-2021 // Sociological research – 2023. – Number 12 C. 44-58 [Electronic resource]. doi

Empirical data bases

Database "National Research of the Older Generation (NISP)", 2021

Database "Russian survey within the framework of the European Social Research (ESS)", 2021

RIA

Magun V.S., Andreenkova A.V. Database "Russian survey on the European Social Research Program", 2021. Certificate of registration of the database 2024621853 dated 04/27/2024

Kareva D.E., Sinyavskaya O.V., Stuzhuk D.A., Khavraeva Yu.V. Database "Loneliness in Russia: exclusivity or solitude?". Certificate of registration of the database 2024620489 dated 01/31/2024

Sinyavskaya O.V., Kareva D.E., Selezneva E.V., Sharepina E.A., Gudkova T., Magun V.S., Andreenkova A.V. Database "National research of the older generation in Russia, 2021". Certificate of registration of the database 2024622181 dated 05/21/2024

Conferences

15th scientific seminar from the series “Active Ageing Policy and Pension Reforms: Russian and International Experience”: Social Protection as Part of Anti-Crisis Packages in the Context of the Coronavirus Pandemic in the World and in Russia (Moscow, Russia, December 17, 2020)

16th scientific seminar from the series “Active Ageing Policy and Pension Reforms: Russian and International Experience”: International Experience in Implementing Guaranteed Minimum Income Programs: Opportunities for Russia (Moscow, Russia, March 18, 2021)

XXII April International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development (Moscow, Russia, April 13-30, 2021):
Special Round Table “The Russian Pension System after 2024: Development Forks in the Context of Long-Term Challenges” (04/15/2021)
Honorary report of Azgar Zaidi “Active Ageing Index in Non-European Countries” (04/16/2021)

17th scientific seminar from the series “Active Ageing Policy and Pension Reforms: Russian and International Experience”: Modeling of the Long-Term Care System: the Case of the Republic of Belarus (Moscow, Russia, September 23, 2021)

18th scientific seminar from the series “Active Ageing Policy and Pension Reforms: Russian and International Experience”: Institutional Care for the Elderly in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic (Moscow, Russia, October 28, 2021)

19th Scientific seminar from the series “Active Ageing Policy and Pension Reforms: Russian and International Experience”: Social Care Services for the Elderly in Greece (Moscow, Russia, December 16, 2021)

The 20th scientific seminar "Licensing of social services in Russia" from the cycle "Active longevity policy and pension reforms: Russian and international experience" (Online, January 20, 2022)

The 21st scientific seminar "Development of a financial and economic model of assisted living for citizens with mental disabilities and its comparison with the STP" from the cycle "Active Longevity Policy and Pension reforms: Russian and international experience" (Online, February 22, 2022)

XXIII Yasin (April) International Scientific Conference on Problems of Economic and Social Development (Moscow, Russia, April 5-22, 2022):
- Round Table B-6-1. Development of Data on Ageing and the Older Generation in Russia: Presentation of the National Study of the Older Generation (SHARE) (04.06.2022)
- Session F-5-3. Age Differences of Views, Values and Well-being in a Comparative Perspective (04/05/2022)
- Round table B-14-2. Long-term Care System (14/04/2022)

22nd scientific seminar "Platform employment in Russia: scales, motives and barriers to participation" from the cycle "Active Longevity Policy and pension reforms: Russian and international experience" (Moscow, Russia, October 6, 2022)

23rd scientific seminar "Aging Roadmap" from the cycle "Active Longevity Policy and Pension reforms: Russian and International Experience" (Moscow, Russia, December 15, 2022)

24th scientific seminar "Mental health of the Russian population during the COVID-19 pandemic and socio-economic changes in 2022: vulnerable groups and ways of support" from the cycle "Active Longevity Policy and pension reforms: Russian and international experience" (Moscow, Russia, February 9, 2023)

XXIV Yasinskaya (April) International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development (Moscow, Russia, April 4-14, 2023):

- Special session "The older generation in Russia and European countries: subjective aspects of well-being" (06/04/2023)

The 26th scientific seminar "Development of the long-term care system in Russia: enhancing the role of small-capacity elderly care institutions in the context of regulation, investment attractiveness and social impact" from the cycle "Active Longevity Policy and Pension reforms: Russian and international experience" (Moscow, Russia, September 14, 2023)

International Scientific Conference "Economic Aspects of the study of human resources in historical perspective" (Tashkent, Uzbekistan, November 16-17 , 2023):

- Section "Human resources from the point of view of historical demography and social policy". Sinyavskaya O.V. Approaches to the study of the evolution of social protection in the USSR and post-Soviet Russia (17/11/2023)

International Conference "Challenges to Long-term care Systems and vectors of their development at the present stage" (Moscow, Russia, December 12, 2023)