Seniors bring value to the society

“Old people who no longer work, cost society a lot of money.” You might have heard such an opinion few times. However, three sociologists at the university – Levi van den Bogaard, Kene Henkens and Matthijs Kalmijn – suggest that seniors are of great value to society.

The sociologists compared two different groups with each other: people who have retired, and people who continued to work. In this way they studied the impact of retirement. The image of pensioners sitting in an armchair and emptying the Dutch pot of gold, was proved incorrect.

Many seniors are investing more in social capital. They give more attention to contacts and activities with family and friends. Children are given more support and attention from their retired parents. And that doesn’t only improve the well-being of the child, but also the one of the parents.

In addition, pensioners get more involved in social activities. They volunteer, or actively participate in social organizations. Pensioners do not only receive, they also give a lot back. According to the researchers, they must therefore be regarded as valuable for society.