[From alms to entitlements. A historical approach on private and public attitudes towards long life expectancies].
At all times in history, there have been people reaching a high age. However, long life expectancies as a--relatively seen--socially non-stratified phenomenon are of a very recent date. This essay identifies three different currents which have shaped the related massive development of population. First, there was what could be called the "democratization of long life expectancies", rooted in the steadily growing access to the fruits of medical and technical progress during the past centuries. Second, the state constantly took over from the private sector responsibilities to provide services for old people. Third and simultaneously, a commonly shared idea of entitlement to a period of retirement after the working career gained acceptance. These three currents are summarized in the essay under the heading of the development of "social rights". Until the end of the 19th century those rights were totally neglected. It was only under the impression of industrialization, the appearance of a strong labor movement, world economic crisis and the catastrophe of two world wars that a conscience for the social dimension of citizenship developed. The history of German social policies from Bismarck to the present day serves as a measurement for these developments towards social rights. In this respect, particular attention is paid to the "Grosse Rentenreform" of 1957, the breakthrough of the modern German welfare state.
Daniel.Maul@stud.uni-muenchen.de
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D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005858:Germany; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000266:history*; D011639:Public Opinion; D012179:Retirement / Q000266:history*; D012943:Social Security / Q000266:history*