In the light of demographic change and its accompanying implications for important societal functions, the economic and material circumstances of older people in Germany has been attracting increasing attention both in social gerontology and in the social and economic sciences as a whole (Naegele, 1991, 2003). The debate of recent years about the economically defined justice and solidarity between the generations, the public discussion about the demographically induced burdens on the social security systems as well as the growing importance of the economic power of older people for economic development of society attests to this. However, it is noticeable that questions about the importance of economic resources for the life satisfaction and subjective well-being of older people go largely unheeded both in political and in scientific discussions. This paradoxical ‘ambivalence’ partly also characterises social gerontology in Germany: although economic resources are by common accord regarded as one of the most important dimensions of a good life in old age, priority is not currently given to the analysis of the relationship between material wealth and individual well-being in old age.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Andrews, F.M. and Withey, S.B. (1976) Social Indicators of Well-being: Americans’ Perceptions of Life Quality, New York, Plenum Press.
Bäcker, G., Bispinck, R., Hofemann, K., and Naegele, G. (2006) Sozialpolitik und Soziale Lage, 2nd edn, Wiesbaden, Westeutscher Verlag.
Baltes, P.B. and Mayer, K.U. (2001) (eds) The Berlin Ageing Study: Aging from 70 to 100, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Bieber, U. and Klebula, D. (2005) ‘First Results of the Study “Old Age Security in Germany – 2003” (“Alterssicherung in Deutschland – ASID”) – Results Regarding the Complexity of the Monetary Situation in Old Age’, Deutsche Rentenversicherung, 6–7/2005.
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ) (2006) Potentiale des Alters in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft: der 5. Altenbericht der Bundesregierung, Berlin, Eigenverlag.
Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Soziale Sicherung (BMGS) (2005) Lebenslagen in Deutschland: Zweite Armuts-und Reichtumsbericht der Bundesregierung, Bonn, Eigenverlag.
Campbell, A., Converse, P.E., and Rogers, W.L. (1976) The Quality of American Life, Ann Arbor, MI, Institute for Social Research.
Casey, B. and Yamada, A. (2002) Getting Older, Getting Poorer? A Study of the Earnings, Pensions Assets and Living Arrangements of Older People in Nine Countries, Paris, OECD.
Clemens, W. and Naegele, G. (2005) ‘Lebenslagen im Alter’ in A. Kruse and M. Martin (eds), Enzyklopädie der Gerontologie. Alternsprozesse in multidisziplinärer Sicht, Bern, Huber.
Diener, E. and Oishi, S. (2000) ‘Money and Happiness: Income and Subjective Well-being Across Nations’ in E. Diener and E.M. Suh (eds), Culture and Subjective Well-being, Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.
Diener, E. and Suh, E.M. (1997) ‘Subjective Well-being and Age: An International Analysis’, Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 17, 304–324.
Diener, E., Scollon, Ch.N., and Lucas, R.E. (2003) ‘The Evolving Concept of Subjective Well-being: the Multifaceted Nature of Happiness’, Advances in Cell Aging and Gerontology, 15, 187–219.
Dittmann-Kohli, F., Bode, Ch., and Westerhof, G.J. (2001) Die zweite Lebenshälfte – psychologische Perspektiven. Ergebnisse des Alterssurvey, Stuttgart, Kohlhammer.
George, L.K. (1992) ‘Economic Status and Subjective Well-being: a Review of the Literature and an Agenda for Future Research’ in N.E. Cutler, D.W. Gregg, and M.P. Lawton (eds), Aging, Money, and Life Satisfaction: Aspects of Financial Gerontology, New York, Springer.
George, L.K., Okun, M.A., and Landerman, R. (1985) ‘Age as a Moderator of the Determinants of Life Satisfaction’, Research on Aging, 7, 209–233.
Herzog, A.R. and Rodgers, W.L. (1981) ‘Age and Satisfaction: Data from Several Large Surveys’, Research on Aging, 3, 142–165.
Lamura, G., Balducci, C., Melchiorre, M.G., Quattrini, S., Spazzafumo, L., Burholt, V., Weber, G., Ferring, D., Fortujin, J.D., and Tallberg, J. (2003) Ageing Well and Material Security in Europe, European Study of Adult Well-being (ESAW), Comparative Report (unpublished paper).
Lawton, M.P. (1983) ‘Environment and other Determinants of Well-being in Older People’, The Gerontologist, 23(4), 349–357.
Michalos, A.C. (2003) ‘Multiple Discrepancies Theory (MDT)’ in A.C. Michalos (ed.) Essays on the Quality of Life, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, Kluwer.
Michalos, A.C., Hubley, A.M., Zumbo, B.D., and Hemingway, D. (2001) ‘Health and other Aspects of the QoL of Older People’, Social Indicators Research, 54, 239–274.
Mookherjee, H.N. (1992) ‘Perceptions of Well-being by Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Populations in the United States’, Journal of Social Psychology, 132(4), 513–524.
Mookherjee, H.N. (1997) ‘Perception of Well-being among Older People in Non-metropolitan America’, Perceptual and Motor Skills, 85, 943–946.
Moon, M. (1977) ‘The Economic Welfare of the Aged and Income Security Programs’ in M. Moon and E. Smolensky (eds), Improving Measures of Economic Well-being, New York, Academic Press.
Motel-Klingebiel, A. (2000) Alter und Generationenvertrag im Wandel des Sozialstaates: Alterssicherung und private Generationenbeziehungen in der zweiten Lebenshälfte, Berlin, Weißensee-Verlag.
Motel-Klingebiel, A. (2006) ‘Materielle Lagen älterer Menschen – Verteilungen und Dynamiken in der zweiten Lebenshälfte’ in C. Tesch-Römer, H. Engstler, and S. Wurm (eds), Altwedern in Deutschland. Sozialer Wandel und individuelle Entwicklung in der zweiten Lebenshälfte, Wiesbaden, Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
Mullis, R.J. (1992) ‘Measures of Economic Well-being as Predictors of Psychological Well-being’, Social Indicators Research, 26(2), 119–135.
Naegele, G. (1991) ‘Anmerkungen zur These vom “Strukturwandel des Alters” aus sozialpolitikwissenschaftlicher Sicht’, Sozialer Fortschritt, 5/6, 162–172.
Naegele, G. (1997) ‘Lebenslagen älterer Menschen’ in A. Kruse (ed.), Psychosoziale Gerontologie, Bd. I: Grundlagen. Jahrbuch der Medizinischen Psychologie, Göttingen, Hogrefe.
Naegele, G. (2003) ‘The Economic Productivity of an Ageing Society: The German Case’, 56th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, San Diego, CA (unpublished paper).
Naegele, G. and Walker, A. (2006) ‘Social protection: incomes, poverty and the reform of pension systems’ in J. Bond et al. (eds) Ageing in Society, 3rd edn (forthcoming).
Noll, H.-H. and Schöb, A. (2002) ‘Lebensqualität im Alter’ in Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfragen (ed.), Expertisen zum 4. Altenbericht der Bundesregierung. Band 1: Konzepte, Forschungsfelder, Lebensqualität, Hannover, Vincentz.
Noll, H.-H. and Weick, S. (2004) ‘Verluste an Lebensqualität im Alter vor allem immaterieller Art’, Informationsdienst Soziale Indikatoren, 21, 7–11.
OECD (2001) Ageing and Income. Financial Resources and Retirement in Nine OECD-Countries, Paris, OECD.
Smeeding, T.M. (1990) ‘Economic Status of the Elderly’ in R.H. Binstock and L.K. George (eds), Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, San Diego, CA, Academic Press.
Smith, A.E., Sim, J., Scharf, T., and Phillipson, C. (2004) ‘Determinants of QoL amongst Older People in Deprived Neighbourhoods’, Ageing and Society, 24, 793–814.
Smith, J., Fleeson, W., Geiselmann, B., Settersten, R., and Kunzmann, U. (1996) ‘Wohlbefinden im hohen Alter: Vorhersagen aufgrund objektiver Lebensbedingungen und subjektiver Bewertung’ in K.U. Mayer and P.B. Baltes (eds), Die Berliner Altersstudie, Berlin, Akademie-Verlag.
Tesch-Römer, C. and Wurm, S. (2006) ‘Veränderung des subjektiven Wohlbefindens in der zweiten Lebenshälfte’ in C. Tesch-Römer, H. Engstler, and S. Wurm (eds), Altwedern in Deutschland. Sozialer Wandel und individuelle Entwicklung in der zweiten Lebenshälfte, Wiesbaden, Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
TNS Infratest (2005) Alterssicherung in Deutschland 2003 (ASID, 03). Tabellenband 3, Deutschland, München, Infratest Sozialforschung.
Weidekamp-Maicher, M. (in press), Materielles Wohlbefinden im späten Erwachsenenalter und Alter, Dissertation, University of Dortmund.
Walker, A. (1986) ‘The Politics of Ageing in Britain’ in C. Phillipson, M. Bernard, and P. Strong (eds) Dependency and Interdependency in Old Age: Theoretical Perspectives and Policy Alternatives, London, Croom Helm, pp. 30–35.
Wood, V., Wylie, M.L., and Sheafor, B. (1969) ‘An Analysis of a Short Self-report Measure of Life Satisfaction: Correlation with Rater Judgments’, Journal of Gerontology, 24, 4, 465–469.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Weidekamp-Maicher, M., Naegele, G. (2007). Economic Resources and Subjective Well-Being in Old Age. In: Mollenkopf, H., Walker, A. (eds) Quality of Life in Old Age. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 31. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5682-6_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5682-6_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5681-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5682-6
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)