Abstract
The Active Ageing Index as a tool can be applied to contrast active aging outcomes across countries to both evaluate the current situation and identify the most desired directions for the policy changes. This chapter examines what welfare state policies affected active aging outcomes in Poland and the Czech Republic, the two countries sharing historical legacy, social background and process of transition to the EU structures and yet varying significantly in their active aging outcomes. While the Czech Republic ranks 13th in the overall Active Ageing Index for 2012, Poland occupies the bottom positions, in both overall and domain-specific indices. In this chapter, policies related to the most remarkable differences were pieced together to explain the difference in the active aging potential in both countries.
Notes
- 1.
For details regarding the source of data for each of the indicators and weighting, see Zaidi et al. (2013).
- 2.
In the 2014 AAI, the Czech Republic moved to 12th position (with the slightly increased score of 34.6%) while Poland ranked 27th, with the slightly increased score of 28.2%, preceding only Greece.
References
ActiveAge. (2005). Overcoming the barriers and seizing the opportunities for active ageing policies in Europe. Final Report. Retrieved from http://cordis.europa.eu/documents/documentlibrary/100124401EN6.pdf
Aidukate, J. (2011). Welfare reforms and socio-economic trends in the 10 new EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 44, 211–219.
Andel, R. (2014). Ageing in the Czech Republic. Gerontologist, 54(6), 893–900.
Aspalter, C., Jinsoo, K., & Sojeung, P. (2009). Analysing the welfare state in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia: An ideal-typical perspective. Social Policy and Administration, 43(2), 170–185.
Bordone, V., Arpino, B., & Aassve, A. (2012). Policy perspectives of grandparenting in Europe. Working Paper No. 51. Available from www.dondena.unibocconi.it/wp51
European Commission. (2008). Promoting longer working lives through pension reforms. Early exits form the labour market. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Fenger, H. J. M. (2007). Welfare regimes in Central and Eastern Europe: Incorporating post-communist countries in a welfare regime typology. Contemporary Issues and Ideas in Social Sciences, 3(2), 1–30.
Karpinska, K., & Dykstra, P. (2014). The Active Ageing Index and its extension to the regional level: Discussion Paper. Brussels: European Commission.
OECD. (2006). Living longer, working longer. Paris: OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2011a). Pensions at a Glance 2011. Retirement-income systems in OECD and G20 countries. Paris: OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2011b). Help wanted? Providing and paying for long term help. Paris: OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2013). Pensions at a Glance 2013. Retirement-income systems in OECD and G20 countries. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Perek-Bials, J., Ruzik, A., & Vidovicova, R. (2006). Active ageing policies in the Czech Republic and Poland. International Social Science Journal, 58(190), 559–570.
Platenga, J., & Remery, C. (2009). The provision of childcare services: A comparative review of 30 European countries. European Commission’s Expert group on Gender and Employment Issues. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=545&
Robila, M. (2012). Family policies in Eastern Europe: A focus on parental leave. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21, 32–41.
Saraceno, C., & Keck, W. (2010). Can we identify intergenerational policy regimes in Europe? European Societies, 12(5), 675–696.
Sobotka, T., Zeman, K., Potančoková, M., Eder, J., Brzozowska, Z., Beaujouan, E., & Matysiak, A. (2015). Fertility Datasheet 2015. Vienna Institute of Demography/Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU).
Strielkowski, W., Filipec, P., Stefanik, M., & Kowalska, K. (2013). Outward labour migration in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia after the EU Enlargement in 2004. Czech Economic Review, 7, 42–54.
Van Bavel, J., & De Winter, T. (2013). Becoming a grandparent and early retirement in Europe. European Sociological Review, 29, 1295–1308.
Zaidi, A., Gasior, K., Hofmarcher, M. M., Lelkes, O., Marin, B., Rodrigues, R., Schmidt, A., Vanhuysse, P., & Zolyomi, E. (2013). Active Ageing Index 2012: Concept, methodology and final results. EC/UNECE, Active Ageing Index Project, UNECE Grant ECE/GC/2012/003. Vienna: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research. Retrieved from http://www.euro.centre.org/data/aai/1253897823_70974.pdf
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Karpinska, K. (2018). Differences in Active Ageing Index in Eastern European Countries: A Comparison of Poland and the Czech Republic. In: Zaidi, A., Harper, S., Howse, K., Lamura, G., Perek-Białas, J. (eds) Building Evidence for Active Ageing Policies. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6017-5_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6017-5_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6016-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6017-5
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)