Social Sustainability in Aging Populations: A Systematic Literature Review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Public Policy

Background:

• Social sustainability is crucial for aging populations, yet scientific discourse is developing.
• Understanding social sustainability in this context requires exploring diverse perspectives and connections.
• Existing research lacks a cohesive framework for social sustainability within aging societies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how social sustainability is conceptualized in aging population studies.
• To analyze variations in these conceptualizations across different topics.
• To elucidate the relationship between population aging and social sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of 33 scientific texts.
• Searches conducted on ProQuest, JStor, and scholar.google.com (February-March 2022).
• Thematic analysis applied to selected literature.

Main Results:

• Identified three distinct understandings of social sustainability: societal desirability, individual quality of life, and intergenerational equity.
• The concept of societal desirability was most frequently observed.
• The choice of understanding varied based on topic, perspective, and research objectives.
• Texts highlighted challenges and opportunities for social sustainability in aging populations, suggesting a need for a perspective shift.

Conclusions:

• Provides a clearer, more unified understanding of social sustainability for aging population research.
• Facilitates dialogue among researchers and enhances gerontologists' contributions to knowledge.
• Informs policymakers and practitioners on integrating research into practice for aging societies.