The study of the older adults’ human capital: setting the problem

The article presents the results of research on the major trends in the place and role of older persons in the modern Russian society and in the workplace. The main aspects of studying the problem of ageing in the framework of foreign and domestic scientific traditions are considered. Three main areas of research - demographic, socio-economic and socio-cultural ones - are identified. An attempt is made to overcome the high degree of fragmentation of research problems concerning older population by branches of knowledge and/or areas of departmental affiliation/ responsibility, which as a rule reflects the position of only one of the hierarchical levels of interest. The concept of "human capital of older generations" is introduced, its specific characteristics are described. These include the high degree of its establishment and the need for its periodic updating in connection with the possible obsolescence. We have studied a number of issues related not only to the increase in the economic burden on society in the form of the need to maintain their older members, but also associated with the economic and social efficiency of positioning elderly people as subjects of formation of new segments in the labor market, pushing the boundaries of using the accumulated spiritual, moral, socio-cultural intellectual, professional components of human capital. The article attempts to study ageing from the perspective of interrelation of its three social components. The authors define demographic, socio-economic, socio-cultural issues of older people, manifesting themselves through the way and quality of elders' life, ways of involvement in the labor and social activity, methods of their social adaptation to the new conditions after retirement, changes in their social status and prestige, financial and family status, social role, etc. Changes in the way and quality of life necessarily lead to increasing demand for the relevant social services and those of associated spheres of economic activity. Thus, the authors state the need for conservation and use/realization of human capital accumulated by older members of society during their previous life cycles.