2.3.1 Social and Human Capital of the Older Generation
Oksana Sinyavskaya
Project Leader
Vladimir Magun
Project Leader
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:
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
Доля населения в возрасте 50 лет и старше, отметившего ухудшение состояния здоровья в пандемию, %
Educational Programs
Human Potential Management Course. Public Administration Master's Program
Publications
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
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)
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)