Videos
(1) France 24 English. (28 June 2025). Japan tackles dementia crisis as super-ageing society sees cases soar. (2 minutes 47 seconds). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97V9VsNsbQE
(2) Deutsche Welle News. (16 April 2025). Why Japan's population is aging faster than any other country. (6 minutes 50 seconds). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Omt0-NxBsg
(3) BBC News. (3 April 2024). China's ageing population: Can the country afford to grow old? (3 minutes 38 seconds). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_JjMQokGc8
Webpages
(1) United Nations. (no date). Ageing. https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ageing
(2) World Economic Forum. (28 September 2023). More than 1 in 10 people in Japan are aged 80 or over. Here's how its ageing population is reshaping the country. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/09/elderly-oldest-population-world-japan/
(3) CNN. (19 January 2025). Japan’s elderly are lonely and struggling. Some women choose to go to jail instead. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/18/asia/japan-elderly-largest-womens-prison-intl-hnk-dst
An aging society occurs when the proportion of older adults increases significantly relative to younger generations. This shift in population reveals deep structural inequalities in how care, resources, and labor are distributed locally and globally. Globally, wealthy nations age rapidly while relying on migrant care workers from developing countries. Locally, communities and individuals face unequal access to adequate pensions, accessible housing, affordable healthcare, and care-giving support. So, how can an aging society ensure dignity, equal access to resources, and fair conditions for both older people and those who care for them?
Aging societies intersect with several major global and local issues. One issue is global supply chains of care. Wealthier nations recruit low-paid healthcare and domestic workers from the Global South, which takes doctors, nurses, and care-workers away from less-developed societies. Another issue is intergenerational equity. Younger generations face shrinking welfare safety nets, higher taxes, and rising housing costs. Gender inequality is also severe in aging societies as women perform a much greater share of unpaid family care-giving; this forces many working women to reduce their paid working hours. As a result, they risk poverty in their own old age. Another intersection is the urban-rural divide: Young adults move to cities for employment, leaving rural towns and communities with aging populations and shrinking local public services. Older citizens may also face digital & physical exclusion: As essential services (healthcare, banking, social services) shift online, older citizens who lack digital literacy or mobility risk being excluded.
Which points in the What It Is section and/or the Broader Issues overview do you find the most interesting, and which points do you have questions about? Why?
Do you disagree with any points in the AI Overview? If so, which point(s), and why?
Share your ideas about 1. and 2. with (an)other student(s).
What do you find interesting, surprising, or worrying about Aging Societies?
What do you want to find out about Aging Societies? Why?
What focus do you want to take in your inquiry:
People's individual experiences and perspectives?
Situations and issues in a local community, town or city?
Different actions taken by local or regional organisations and actors?
Law, policy, human rights, political issues, or systemic changes at the national/international levels?
A mixture of angles and viewpoints?
4. What are your starting questions and next steps?