Assets, self-employed and taxpayers: Arguments for the resignification of social representations on aging in chile

Abstract

The objective is to investigate the family, economic and multidimensional situation of elderly people in Chile, a key issue to address political and programmatic measures. Using CASEN data, the trends in population aging, the types of family composition with presence of older people and the situation of poverty and deficiency faced by households are analyzed, especially regarding economic contributions and vulnerability. The results suggest that the group of elderly people in Chile is active and collaborates in the family economy; they are not dependent members or are confined in the home. They present low levels of monetary poverty and deficiency linked to autonomy, social support, equal treatment and security. The priority in political matters for this group lies in at least three challenges: Guaranteeing decent working conditions for those who wish to continue working; strengthen the multidimensional approach to poverty measure, capable of capturing the shortcomings in established households or with the presence of older people; and to improve the living conditions and environment that households have, in particular accessibility to public services and transportation.