The topic of my master’s thesis is the social position of older people in neoliberal capitalism. The main research question is how has neoliberal capitalism impacted the socio-economic position and the social image of older people in today’s society. In the research, I analyse the European context, with a particular focus on Slovenia. In the first part of the thesis, I describe the development and the main features of neoliberal capitalism. In the second, empirical part, I analyse my research question. I pay special attention to the consequences of neoliberal changes in the labour market and social security, as well as the question of how these changes have affected the older population. I also examine how the interconnection between neoliberal rationality and dominant discourses on older people shapes their social image. The main findings of my thesis are that the changes brought on by neoliberal capitalism have had a devastating impact on the older population. Many older people in Europe and Slovenia are materially and socially vulnerable. The growing economic inequality, the lack of protection in the labour market, and the reductions in public social security increase the risk of poverty and social exclusion among older people, as this segment of the population is highly dependent on public resources and services, which are based on the principle of social solidarity. Neoliberal capitalism has also affected the social image of older people, which has become contradictory in today’s system. In the public sphere, the discourse of ageism, which portrays older people as a social burden, intersects with the discourse of the active older person, which is closely linked to neoliberal concepts of human capital, productivity, and individualism. Finally, the thesis presents the perspectives of older people on their social position, as their viewpoint is important for a comprehensive understanding of this topic.
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