Professor Sarah Harper on how population change is remodelling societies.
Nov 14, 2023
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Professor Sarah Harper, an expert in Gerontology, discusses how population change is remodelling societies. Topics include the impact of demographic changes on society, the historical shift in retirement age, changing attitudes towards reproduction, and personal experiences with aging and retirement.
Reduced fertility rates driven by improved access to family planning and education for girls are leading to a smaller global population than previously feared.
Increasing life expectancy and the rise of an aging population necessitate rethinking retirement and promoting lifelong education and workforce participation.
Deep dives
Changing Demographics and Population Growth
The podcast explores how changing demographics, specifically declining fertility rates, are affecting population growth. It highlights that reductions in childbearing, driven by factors such as improved access to family planning, better healthcare, and education for girls, have led to a smaller projected global population than previously feared. Additionally, it emphasizes the implications of longer life expectancy, with the number of elderly people projected to equal or surpass the number of young people. This shift in age structure will have significant societal dynamics and necessitate adaptations across various aspects of society.
The Impact of Retirement and Aging on Society
The episode delves into the transformation of retirement and the challenges it poses for societies. It discusses the historical introduction of fixed retirement ages and how, as life expectancy increases, an aging population fundamentally changes societal dynamics. It highlights the need to rethink concepts of retirement, promoting lifelong education, re-skilling, and ongoing participation in the workforce. The episode also explores the negative consequences of early retirement and the importance of adapting to an older workforce in order to drive economic growth and mitigate the strain on resources.
Global Perspectives on Fertility and Family Planning
The podcast presents case studies from different parts of the world to showcase diverse perspectives on fertility and family planning. It discusses the demographic transition from high birth rates to lower birth rates in various regions, such as Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It examines factors influencing women's choices about childbearing, including career aspirations, economic uncertainties, access to resources, and societal norms. The episode highlights the significance of empowering women to make informed choices about family size and the need to challenge stereotypes and support diverse reproductive decisions.
People around the world are living longer and, on the whole, having fewer children. What does this mean for future populations? Sarah Harper CBE, Professor in Gerontology at the University of Oxford, tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili how it could affect pensions, why it might mean we work for longer, and discusses the ways modern life is changing global attitudes to when we have children, and whether we have them at all. Fertility and ageing have been Sarah's life's work and she tells her story of giving up a career in the media to carry out in-depth research, and going on to study population change in the UK and China, setting up the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing and later becoming a Scientific Advisor to UK Government.
Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili
Producer: Tom Bonnett
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