Social Equity and Human Rights for the Ageing Population

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In the year 2030 the importance of meaningful leisure pursuits remains an essential component of social equity and human rights for the ageing population. Fulfilling a broad role in a healthy life course, leisure becomes a replacement for working life, meeting the physical, psychological, and social needs of the retired. Despite this, many aged people face retirement socially isolated, void of self-discovery and development, and ageism has succeeded in removing the aged from leisure opportunities and experiences. In planning a short stay to the Melbourne Cup for aged clients, the role of leisure was carefully considered, with significant attention focused on the ethics of animals as leisure commodities – both in sport and as companions.
With the number of people over 60 years old steadily growing, the aged will soon outnumber children under the age of 14, and represent nearly one in five of the total population (Saputelli, 2011, p. 41). Despite this statistic, the human rights of aged people comes into question as they remain largely invisible, politically and socially, around the world (Saputelli, 2011, p. 42; Scherger, Nazroo, & Higgs, 2011, pp. 147, 149). Age related discrimination, or ageism, restricts the leisure rights of aged people (Saputelli, 2011, p. 43), and can result in social inequality (Scherger et al., 2011, p. 149; Mansvelt, 1997, p. 293), and isolation (Toepoel, 2013, p. 355). Restricting leisure rights can effect life satisfaction, and psychological, social, and physical, needs (Lu, 2010, p. 139: Toepoel, 2013, p. 356). Agesim devalues the role of the aged in society, promotes them as unproductive, and mentally, physically, and socially incapable, and this can have internalising consequences (Wearing, 1995, ...

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...n away at will, and in doing so challenges our ethical obligations when relying on dogs as leisure resources (McGreevey & Bennett, 2010, p. 15).
As people reach older age, leisure takes on added meaning and fulfils new roles. The aged, no longer defined by their work, are looking for new ways to define themselves. Far from wanting to slow down, many aged people are ready and able to face self-discovery and challenges, and leisure is able to meet these needs. These needs are not always met however, as ageism restricts leisure opportunities and threatens a basic tenet of human rights –social equity. In attempting to address these needs a short stay to the Melbourne Cup was arranged for a small group of aged people. This however, brought to light ethical challenges faced by the leisure industry, namely the supply and use of animals, for both sport and as companions.

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