Young people as a reserve army of labour

Key features of young people's role in capitalism

• Reserve army of labour - Young people are seen as a reserve army of labour, providing a flexible and cheap workforce that can be hired and fired as needed to keep wages low and profits high.
• Low wages and flexibility - Young workers often accept low pay because they tend not to have dependants. This willingness to work for less contributes to workforce flexibility.
• Impact on full-time employment - For full-time employment, young people's lack of experience justifies lower salaries, and high competition for jobs helps to keep wages down.

Capitalism's impact on older people

Marxists argue that capitalism is fundamentally at odds with the needs of older people, who are often sidelined once they are no longer productive workers. This neglect arises because the system values individuals based on their ability to generate or spend money.

Incompatibility with older people's needs

• Exploitation for profit - Capitalism focuses on extracting value from workers and consumers. Older people, with greater health and care needs, are seen as unprofitable because they lack disposable income to attract businesses.
• Neglect by the system - Without spending power, older individuals are ignored, leading to inadequate support in areas like healthcare and social services. This results in reduced quality of life and heightened vulnerability.

Phillipson (1982) on older people's role in capitalism

• Background - Phillipson (1982) examined how capitalism uses older people in the labour market.

• Results - Older people have long served as a reserve army of labour, hired cheaply when needed. This role has expanded with the growth of retail sectors, where elderly workers are employed for low-wage, flexible jobs.

• Conclusions - Capitalism exploits older people similarly to the young, but their increased needs make this incompatibility more pronounced, leading to greater marginalisation.

Variations in experiences based on social class

Not all older people face the same disadvantages under capitalism; social class plays a key role in determining power and status. Marxists acknowledge that class divisions within age groups create unequal outcomes.

Privileged older people from upper-middle-class backgrounds

• Accumulated wealth - During their working lives, these individuals often earn higher incomes, allowing them to build savings, investments, and assets. This economic security continues into old age.
• Beneficial relationship with capitalism - Their financial resources give them power to access premium services, such as private healthcare, which improves health and life expectancy.
• Consumption power - With disposable income, they can afford luxuries and services, making them attractive to capitalists and reducing the neglect faced by less affluent older people.

Criticisms of the Marxist approach

While Marxism provides a strong critique of capitalism's role in age inequalities, it has notable weaknesses. Critics argue that it overemphasises economic factors at the expense of other influences, leading to an incomplete picture.

Key criticisms

• Economic determinism - Marxism is accused of reducing all social issues to class and economics, ignoring how other elements shape experiences of age.
• Neglect of intersecting factors - It often overlooks gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, and nationality, which can compound or alter age-based inequalities.

Examples of intersecting factors:

• Cultural or religious influences may worsen childhood and youth inequalities, such as when traditional expectations limit opportunities for girls in certain communities.
• Experiences of older people vary by ethnicity; elderly Asian individuals may receive more respect from younger generations, reducing ageism compared to white communities. However, they might still face racism, including discrimination in healthcare or employment.