Generational Justice Essay Example

Framing refers to the use of theoretical perspectives and concepts that touch on the various ways in which individuals and groups in a given society behave, communicate and perceive social issues in the society. Most policies on public planning depend on the theoretical frameworks that are put into place. Framing allows the debating of contentious issues in the society that are subject to varying opinions and interpretations. The following paper looks at the contrast in the two ways in which framing of the debate regarding some public policy towards older adults can be carried out. It specifically focuses on the generational equity and the generational interdependence framework on the issues addressed in the paper.

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Can Medicare be fixed?

Generational equity framework: With the high increase in the rate of population growth, a generational equity framework should focus on ensuring that the retiring baby boomers do not end up getting less of the social benefit in comparison to the currently retired generations. It is therefore encouraged that each generation should cater for its burden to prevent a case where one generation suffers for the mistakes of the previous generation. By privatizing the funds and encouraging a culture of independence and self-reliance, the Medicare problem can be fixed to help each generation including the current old adults.

Generational interdependence framework: Since there is a generational interdependence as far as public policies are concerned, it is noted that by cutting of funds for those retiring or retired, it is the young generation who will suffer most as they have to cater for their older parents. It is therefore pointed that for cases such as Medicare, the burden should be shared by those who are still in the labor force.

Side to cut on: Encouraging the spirit of self-reliance as part of alleviating the burden from each generation is the best way to deal with social crises such as those in the case of the Medicare. Generation equity is therefore the way to go in fixing the Medicare problem in America.

Aging Germany: An Overview

With an increasing life expectancy and decline in the birth rates, Germany is experiencing one of the most challenging situations of dealing with an aging population. The increase in the aging population will put much pressure on the country’s social security fund on the current young population once they hit the retirement age. There are those who point out that current older population should be made to pay for their retirement benefit to avoid a case where the new generation will have to receive less. For those who are of the generational equity framework assert that each generation including the older adults should cater for their own retirement program to avoid a case of the use of resources meant for the new generation. Unlike in the case of the generational equity, it is asserted that the generation interdependence points that with an aging population, cutting of funds for the older adults in this current era will only lead to more burdens for the new generation due to the fact that they will have to take care of them in the future.

It is thus prudent to encourage a culture where the population is controlled and people encouraged having mandatory savings to ensure that generational crisis do not happen.

Critical Care in America

With the high cost of health care, it is becoming even more expensive for Americans to access critical care services. This has raised varying opinions on the best way possible to deal with the crisis. Two frameworks have emerged such as the generational equity and the generational interdependence which assert different positions on how best to come up with a policy that will help the older adults in the policy making process. Proponents of the generational equity asserts that the current older adults are financial secure and are able to afford the cost of care. They are thus encouraged to save and insure themselves to prevent cases where the burden of health care will be too much to bear. The other framework provided is the generational interdependence where it is argued from the point of the resources sharing. The older generation is getting more than their investment and this is more of a burden to the future adults who will have to cater for the cost incurred by the previous generation.

It is therefore argued that since the cost of services such as critical care in America is rising, cutting of funds will only increase more problems since the young have to provide for the old because of the unsustainability of projects only meant to benefit the older generations.

Frontline: US entitlement programs unsustainable

With the high cost of spending on entitlement programs and other social benefits, it is becoming more of a pressure for the United States government to come up with the best way to sustain the programs. The situation has resulted to the rise of two frameworks for debate such as the generational equity and the generational interdependence where each offers its assertions. For the generational equity proponents assert that a model that will ensure that the retiring baby boomers do not end up getting less than what they have invested in the entitlement programs. They thus advocate for a way in which each generation including the older adults who are privileged to have better working conditions. They should thus invest for their own program to ensure that they deal with their own problems rather than taking up from the savings of the new generation. Unlike the proponents of the generation equity, another framework; the generation interdependence looks at the problem by pointing that having each generation cater for its own burden is unsustainable especially with the fact that there is a level of interdependence among different generations. Each generation has a responsibility over the new generation.

It is thus prudent to go with the generational interdependence assertion by encouraging self-reliance but at the same time taking time to build a future for the new generation. This is the best way to provide a sustainable entitlement for both the old and the new generations.

References

Higgs, P., & Gilleard, C. (2015). Generational Justice, Generational Habitus and the ‘Problem’of the Baby Boomers. In Challenges of Aging (pp. 251-263). Palgrave Macmillan UK.

Roberts, R. E. (2013). Age-group relationships: Generational equity and inequity. Parent-child relations throughout life, 253.