Social context fulfillment and self-realization of seniors today

Chapters of the article

Luppová (2012) points to the age-related working situation of seniors in Slovakia, states Luppová (2012), and further states that even though Slovak legislation prohibits companies from stating their age in job offers, it was found that employers are most looking for young people. Companies fear that older people are less flexible and perform less, or that they have problems managing new trends. Age discrimination is also evidenced by the results pointed out by the Institute for Public Issues. It was found that a fifth of Slovaks aged 45 to 65 have encountered some form of employment discrimination. It should be noted that the Slovak Center for Human Rights also receives the most suggestions from citizens in connection with age discrimination. In some European countries, the employment of older people is solved by legislative changes (e.g. in Germany, Sweden, Poland, Russia). This achieves more effective support for the employment of older citizens. (Luppová, 2012.)

In our contribution, we want to point out the contradiction between declaring the need to observe respect, dignity and the human right to equal treatment by society, including the right to professional realization regardless of the age of adults, and direct or hidden discrimination of seniors if they want to apply on the labor market. It is understandable that the professional self-realization of mentally working seniors is subject to social changes and the nature of the current social environment, because social changes cannot be avoided. But in our society it is also under the influence of obvious manifestations of social devaluation of the employment of mentally working seniors in the workplaces where they work. The signs of the mentioned discrimination are evident. It is enough to look at the working reality of seniors - individual persons or groups of seniors (men, women, disabled, people with low education, people with higher education, people living in cities or in the countryside, etc.).

Society is subject to myths, prejudices and mistakes in assessing a wide-spectrum social group of fellow senior citizens, including mentally disabled seniors. These are manifestations that we called signs of the "globalized social psyche" of people. Thanks to modern communication technologies, which sometimes go over the heads of many people, today's people live their lives in an environment of sophisticated networking and an endless supply of ways of more virtual than real social relations and social communication.

Our contribution is a reflection of a slice of the mentioned reality, which is currently being formed as a possible consequence of supporting various cults in society, for example the cult of youth, wealth, career and rapid advancement up the social ladder, or accelerated professional advancement in short. The changed reality affects people's opinions, attitudes and values ​​and manifests itself in their behavior and actions. The growing uncertainty, the growth of risks and the disappearance of traditions, the processes of individualization, the pluralization of all areas of life and values ​​and, on the other hand, the processes of unification in the social and cultural area, which are connected with the current transformation and discontinuity, are taking on new dimensions and qualities. (Sycha, 2012, p. 26.)

The social nature of today

"The modern paradigm, in which scientists discover the immutable laws of nature, engineers build a better and fairer world for everyone, when order triumphs over chaos, on the basis of scientific knowledge, has exhausted itself, fewer and fewer people believe in it. The principles of the postmodern paradigm are different: order and chaos are complementary, ... every value is historically limited, contradictions and randomness cannot be eliminated." (Bělohradský, 2002 – In: Sycha, 2012, p.25.)

When it comes to scientific theories and opinions, it is necessary to stand up, understand and acknowledge them, or reject them. For the reason that they significantly influence the thinking and decision-making of authorities and groups to whom citizens have entrusted the management of public affairs. Theories and scientific opinions are to some extent transformed in the political decisions and strategic plans of the society called developed countries.

It is echoed in scientific opinions that the uncertainty of today is different than the traditional uncertainty. Traditional uncertainty resulted from the fact that people and society did not know the means of action. Today's uncertainty is determined by the fact that people and society do not know the goals of action. According to Schulz (1997, p. 49 – In: Sycha, 2012, p. 26), the present is not a continuation of the past, and it is not possible to think of progress as a permanent rise. "But what stands before us, what has already begun, is the change of change; the social world from the other side of the logic of ascent." (Schulze, 2000, p. 220-221 - In: Sycha, 2012, p. 26.)

The context of social change is important for understanding and respecting how people perceive specific social changes and how they act and behave as a result of the changes. In this sense, the prevailing opinions and attitudes of society towards the professional self-realization of seniors, towards their role in the labor market and at workplaces must also change. Stereotypes will have to be displaced by a more socially functional approach of politics, legislation, the labor market and society towards working seniors.

Due to the aging of the population of Europeans, the measures that have been working until now are becoming less effective and must therefore undergo changes. A place is being created for a different political perspective, social opinion, scientific research orientation and the employment of seniors. There are significant social, psychological and spiritual changes in the lives of groups of people and individual persons that cannot be overlooked. The nature of people's life tasks, social status and responsibility of individual persons for their lives and entire social groups is changing. "Regardless of efforts to actively influence social reality or rather passively accept incoming changes, it is absolutely necessary for the continued functioning of society to further increase the ability to adapt to social transformations both at the level of individuals and at the level of society as a whole." (Sycha, 2012, p. 28.)

What does the modernization of society mean for individuals? It is a process that is not straightforward and takes place in such a way that what is traditional in society exists at the same time as what is new and progressive. The mentioned fact also concerns the social situation of seniors and other and other social groups.

With the situations and conditions of his life in the process of such wide-spectrum change, the individual has to cope, so to speak, "on the fly" and at a relatively fast pace. "Modernization means a process of permanent change, which has positive and negative aspects - today's life offers the individual many more options for choosing personal, professional and social development than ever before. However, these options are also opportunities and limitations. On the one hand, they mean an increase in the freedom of decision-making and, on the other hand, a decrease in certainty and the necessity to find one's way outside of traditional models" (Gruber, 2001, p. 36). We note that seniors are also faced with the challenge of finding their way of "functioning" outside the traditional models of life for seniors in society, including their own employability and work self-realization.

Seniors, just like other age groups of the population, face the phenomena of modernization, which are: the already mentioned expanding rationalization of life; continued individualization; significant pluralization of society and values, but also the blurring of boundaries between work, profession, education, family life and free time; relaxation in the rules of behavior that functioned on the basis of religious and social traditions and social norms; the need for people to permanently search for their position in the world and in their surroundings; change in the manner and nature (virtualization) of interpersonal and interpersonal relationships and also social communication.

Seniors from the point of view of demographic development in the Slovak Republic

Population development in the Slovak Republic is characterized by a long-term decline in marriage rates, birth rates and fertility. The expected development took place in the demographic processes - in terms of the age structure, the aging process of the population continues, as the share of children (0-14 years old) further decreased and the share of the population in the post-productive age increased, respectively. aged 65 and older. There is an increase in the average age and, consequently, an increase in the aging index.

According to the population development forecast with a time horizon until 2025, it is assumed that the Slovak Republic should have approximately 5.2 million inhabitants by 2025. The number of retirees will increase and, on the contrary, the number of people of productive age will decrease. According to the forecast, the share of children aged 0-14 will decrease from the current 17.1% to 13% in 2025, and the number of people over 65 will increase from the current 11.6% to 20%. The average life expectancy at birth for men from the period 1996-2000 to the period 2001-2005 increased from the value of 68.91 to the value of 69.96 years. For women, this increase was more moderate, from 77.53 to 77.91. In the new pension system, the retirement age of 62 years for both men and women is established by law.

The indicated forecasts lead to the conclusion that the professional employment of seniors even in post-productive age (from 62 years and above) is becoming a serious social problem. Within the indicated trends of the curve of demographic development, which determines social development in the Slovak Republic, such social practices that relegate the senior population to the secondary social track, let's call it, passive longevity, can be considered meaningless, archaic and not beneficial for society. It is a gamble with a significant individual work potential of people who want and can realize themselves professionally even at retirement age (in Slovakia, this applies to the 62+ population). It is necessary to realize that the number of elderly people in the world and in Slovakia will double during the first half of the 21st century. The increase of older people will be greatest in the highest age groups. The fact that they pointed out that "society and especially young people should be prepared for this situation, they should know that old age is part of our life, which must be accepted and prepared for from a young age," is also related to the previous statement of Dobiášová and Herdová. (2012, p.1.)

From the results of the survey "Probe into the lifestyle of seniors in Slovakia" carried out by the Orange Foundation, we learn (Skokňová, 2010) that there are more than 900,000 inhabitants aged 60 and over in Slovakia, who make up 17% of the population. The group of seniors is becoming pre-feminized - 61% are senior women. In a survey of a sample of 220 seniors, it was found that the basic life values of the surveyed seniors are: Passing on their experience to young people (97%) To be independent as much as possible, not to be a burden to young people (96%) Caring for someone and helping them (95%) To help and support each other as much as possible with senior peers (92%) Live your life actively, realize yourself (93%) Maintain contacts with their senior peers (87%) Learn new things (84%)

Worthy of attention is the finding that among the surveyed seniors, material values occupied the lowest to last rungs of the value list: Money, which means the opportunity to do what I want (53%). If I had more money, I wouldn't miss anything (33%). Have your own house (2%). Get to know the world, travel (1%).

The author of the survey (Skokňová, 2010) points out that the need for self-realization does not lose its importance at retirement age. The highest values found were: To meet friends, loved ones (96%) Rest, relax (91%) Being with people who are like me - peers (90%) Doing something creative (88%).

We have highlighted the values ​​that, in our opinion, are directly related to the work self-realization of seniors. Hypothetically, it can be expected that mentally working people, on whom we focus our attention in this article, will be strongly internally motivated to creative activity and to continued professional self-realization even in their senior years.

Phenomenon of spiritual crisis

"The world is more hungry for love and appreciation than for bread." (Mother Teresa.) And we want to add that we have to start treating this kind of poverty in a specific social community and in a specific social professional environment. This also applies to the social environment in which the target group of professionally active seniors live their lives. The consequence of the spiritual crisis in society is the devastation of the social consciousness and, consequently, the disruption of the individual consciousness of persons, in which the most extreme ideas are then easily adopted. Therefore, practically applied social ethics and their observance are important in the life of society. Also for the reason that unethical decisions and actions of individuals and social groups are not accepted and become a socially normal phenomenon, and vice versa - ethical decisions and actions become an abnormal social phenomenon and that such moral disturbance does not take root in people's thinking, motivation and actions.

This should not happen in the current era of humanity, when, in the words of Frolov (1987, p.74), "science has entered the "human age", when all the power of scientific knowledge will be directed towards man as its main object." However, this requires social conditions corresponding to reason and humanity, from which a new ethos of science will grow", and we note that not only the ethos of science will grow, but also the ethos of social behavior and actions of people. Frolov further states that "at this stage, a person may realize his uniqueness, reasonableness and humanity, but we cannot assess today what consequences will result from this" (ibid.). According to this author, the humanistic approach assumes "a new scientific and philosophical understanding of the meaning of human life and at the same time the overall - moral and social progress of humanity today and in the future. On this path, man will have to change and overcome many things..." (Frolov, 1987, p.73.)

From the stimulating contribution of the mentioned author, which also indirectly touches on the issue of the employed, that is, professionally active seniors, in the following text we will freely interpret at least some ideas. As for the issues related to the extension of human life, this issue is connected with the solution of the topic of the meaning of life and the value of human life. This solution is possible on the spiritual, philosophical, psychological, social, ethical, moral and humanistic level of the problem.

Extending human life

In connection with the issue of extending human life, Frolov asks what kind of extension time is actually involved. Is it the individual's biological time, or social-personality time, which is defined by emotional, psychological and moral charge? With regard to the topic of professionally active seniors, this fact is key for us: "Prolonging human life is sometimes understood as a scientifically and socially justified goal, and then the question arises, why does a person and society need to extend human life?" (Frolov, 1987, p.68.) It is said that we are standing on the threshold of an era when living conditions, lifestyle, personal development and medicine will transform homo sapiens into homo longevus, a long-lived person, "when men and women in mature age retain complete mental and physical freshness. And if this is so, we must look at life with different eyes." (Frolov, 1987, p. 69.) We identify with this opinion and note that in connection with the target group of employed professionally active seniors, we are primarily referring to the socially conditioned life expectancy, when the social conditions of life and environment are of determining importance and when "we can divide the process of social aging of a person into normal aging, when a person ages as a result of drawing down the reserves of the human organism, and pathological aging, conditioned by the negative influence of social factors determining the natural course of aging. Then the basic task remains to reduce to a minimum the causes that condition the pathological course of social aging. This task coincides with broader social tasks aimed at the reconstruction of society that would ensure normal human conditions of existence." (Frolov, 1987, p. 69.)

We add to this opinion that it fully applies to the conditions of professional self-realization in senior age, and even more so to educated and intellectually active people. Considering the real problem of discrimination of mentally working seniors in their professional self-realization, it is necessary to change the prejudices against employed seniors in the sense that a different view of the life of seniors will prevail in society.

And such a view that older people, based on their experiences, will themselves gain the conviction that it is worthwhile for a person to live as long as possible in an active and professionally productive way, that he will not be exposed to social stress and frustration from society and younger people, and will not experience professional discrimination based solely on his calendar age. Čornaničová (1998) distinguishes between the calendar age and the functional age of an individual person. If the individual differences in the personality of seniors are not respected, then the functional age is neglected, which corresponds to the real functional potential of a person - his body and psyche and social adaptation in the environment. Pacovský (1997) differentiates between biological age, psychological age and social age of an individual person. Davydovsky (In: Frolov, 1987, p.73) assumed that long life and the related problem of active creative old age is real and basically it is a new person who is fully aware of his potential possibilities and has the motivation to fulfill his mission on Earth.

It is obvious that such people, provided they are healthy and have adequate work opportunities, even in their senior years will have a strong motivation to creatively realize their individual potential, their talents and talents, which they are asked to pass on as a relay to the community of people.

Who are mentally working seniors

Professionally active seniors are people aged between 60 and 75 years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the period of adulthood can be divided into: 45 to 59 years - middle age; 60 to 74 years - older age, early old age, presenium; 75 to 89 – old age, advanced age, senium; 90 or more years - longevity.

If we mean the target group of our contribution, then it is a subgroup of the senior generation, which can be characterized in terms of physical ontogenesis as a biologically older generation. From the point of view of solving psychosocial crises in this age period, this subgroup of seniors can be characterized as people who can also solve their life crises through personal stagnation or regression, but they are more inclined to generativity, that is, they have the motivation for a productive and creative life in the field of work, in family life and in the field of self-realization of interests.

It can be assumed that professionally active seniors are generally aware of their life as a continuity and a whole that has meaning and order. They also perceive themselves as a continuity and a whole. This means as integrity, in which is reflected everything that a person was, what he did during his life, what he achieved in his life. And especially, what she still wants to achieve in her senior years to fulfill her mission on this Earth. And that also in a way of creatively fulfilling the tasks of professional self-realization, which cannot be defined by artificial boundaries, because a person's self-realization has no end due to reaching the calendar age. The result of self-realization motivation and an active approach to one's own life is a psychologically, socially and spiritually integrated person who manifests himself as a balanced and satisfied person, for whom the greatest wealth is wisdom, i.e. knowledge of the mind and the heart.

The target group to which we pay more attention in this post are professionally active mentally working seniors. Their priority motivation for staying in the work environment is strong internal, i.e. psychological motivation to perform a professional activity. As a rule, these are people with a high motivation for self-realization and the completion of a lifelong scientific, artistic work or a lifelong professional activity of another kind. It can be said that these are self-realized personalities. Maslow (In: Hall, C.S. - Lindzey, G., 1997, p.175), the creator of humanistic psychology, in his holistic-clinical studies compiled groups of characteristics that described self-realized people and that need to be pointed out.

What are self-actualizing people like?

Their life orientation is realistic. They accept themselves, others and the world of people in general, as well as nature as it is. They are spontaneous in behavior and actions, in communication, in interpersonal relations. They are oriented towards the solution of various problems and tasks of life, rather than on their person. They create a social atmosphere of impartiality, impartiality, and generosity around them. They have an intense need to be alone, to have their privacy. They see people and things, situations and problems in a new way, they are not stereotyped. They mostly have mystical or spiritual, but not just religious, experiences. They identify with the human race, have a sense of community and social interests. They prefer deep human relationships with only a few, but especially loved and loving people to superficial relationships with many people. They recognize and follow democratic values ​​and attitudes. They have a philosophical rather than ironic and sarcastic sense of humor. They are highly creative. They resist conformity to culture. Rather, they transcend the environment, i.e. make it spiritually special, rather than just cope with it.

Life tasks of seniors

In the lives of people, both individuals and communities, there is a connection, connection and bond between generations that cannot be erased and it is necessary to respect it in the interest of the social health of society. All generations flow in one river of time. And each generation has its life development tasks (determined by genotype) and life development tasks (that is, socialization, upbringing and education tasks that are the result of people's active learning). We have long been paying great attention to developmental and developmental tasks in our own scientific and research activities (Machalová 2004, 2014; Machalová - Senko, 2018) ) and also within the supervision of bachelor's and master's theses of university students on the topic of developmental and developmental tasks.

Life development and development tasks of seniors, respectively. of persons in late adulthood require people to be alert, aware, flexible in thinking, feeling, acting and ready to learn. Life developmental tasks and developmental tasks stimulate the development of intellect, emotions, feelings, motivation, values ​​and character traits of individuals (Machalová, 2004, 2010, 2014, 2018). And that in circumstances that are specific to senior age. Those circumstances are, for example, leaving a job and receiving a pension, coping with personal and family illnesses, losing a life partner due to his death, etc.

On the other hand, however, there are also new challenges to new activities that call to activity the hidden potential of people and their natural need to live as creative people. "As long as we live, let's learn how to live", stated the famous philosopher and expert on life - Seneca. Even in senior age, it is of great importance to produce ideas, create social relationships, and produce objects. In our opinion, today's seniors face unconventional or completely new and previously unknown life tasks. For example: • learn to learn even at an older age and develop your ability to learn; • continue or re-educate (formally and informally); • learn, according to one's needs, to use information and communication tools (computer, mobile phone, digital camera, various players, telephone calls via the Internet, etc.) • learn a new way to maintain spiritual, mental and physical health; • adapt optimally and socially to the values ​​and way of life of people in the present.

Senior age is not only for professionally active mentally working seniors, but also for other groups of creative people, a period of handing over the fruits of their labor. The results of the lifelong efforts of these people must be accepted as a precious contribution and enrichment of the database of life and professional experiences and knowledge of a specific society of people. How else could the river of life, whose weaker flow was first formed from the springs of learning of young people, later become stronger thanks to the activities of middle-aged people, and finally the river became stronger due to the synthesis of knowledge, experience and actions of people in senior age.

Working career and professionally active seniors

Let's start with a loose paraphrase of Carpentier's (1987, p.169) statement, which captures exactly what we mean and from which we have taken the expression "the epoch of impatience" in this paper. Our era is characterized by impatience. The whole world rushed somewhere. The whole world wants to taste the fruits of their efforts right away. Some want to collect wealth, others to achieve success. The artist and scientist wants to master the entire wealth of artistic and scientific means as quickly as possible, in order to achieve a breakthrough in the development of painting, music, literature or science within two to three years and to manage a breakthrough in his professional career with a quick leap. Every individual, every human collective feels a secret and unquenchable thirst for the new, whether in art, in science, in the sphere of production, in a personal career. From the experience in the labor market, for example in Slovakia, there is a known trend of high motivation of people to achieve a quick successful and materially and powerfully advantageous professional career. Currently, however, there is also a lot of talk about extending the working career to an older age, not only because, for example, people in European countries are living to an older age in good condition and the work-capable senior population is growing, but also because the national economy is burdened by paying pensions to a large number of retired seniors.

However, political decisions on extending the retirement age of employed persons in senior age (from 62 in Slovakia) are one thing, and the life-work reality of working seniors who remain employed is another matter, and in many cases socially and psychologically unflattering. From the experience of counseling and psychotherapy with people of senior age, as well as from observing the lives of employed seniors, we are aware of cases of hidden and open discrimination and suppression of the right to equal working conditions, to dignity and respect for one's own person in the workplaces where they work.

We have already mentioned several times that the focus of attention in this post is on seniors working professionally mentally. We want to draw attention to the underutilization of the great human potential of this group of seniors. And also to the need to pay attention to the hidden and real discrimination of these seniors in the performance of their life's mission, which they realize in the way of mental work in various professions and jobs. In society, as is well known, on the one hand, they are looking for ways to influence talented young people so that they do not escape abroad after completing their higher education and thus the country's education is not exported.

And also how to prevent "brain drain," that is, the export of know-how of the country's intellectual capital. And on the other hand, the education of the country and the accumulated intellectual capital of professionally mentally working seniors is being wasted. This group of mentally working seniors: pioneers, creators of works of various kinds, authors of books and concepts, founders of institutions, community-wide programs, strategies and projects, creators of fields of study, founders of schools, inventors, innovators, "drivers" of science, art, technology and other types of human activity, educators and educators of generations - not only do not receive proper social appreciation, respect and respect, but not as much social means for further improving their human and therefore also intellectual potential, as much as this gift of mentally working seniors to society is worthy.

It is also possible to look for manifestations of social discrimination of seniors and the problem of intergenerational misunderstandings and manifestations of intolerance in workplaces where mentally disabled seniors work professionally. At the same time, such situations usually occur on the basis of a single reason - the reason of the calendar age of employed seniors.

What are the cases of discrimination against mentally ill seniors due to their calendar age? We will list only some general indicators of discrimination of mentally disabled seniors in the workplace:

• Dismissal from employment due to the senior's calendar age. • Deprivation of the functional manager position, due to the calendar age of a senior citizen. • Obstacles in the further professional qualification procedure, due to the calendar age of the senior. • Reassignment to a lower job position and category, due to the senior's calendar age. • Salary reduction in case of job transfer, due to the senior's calendar age. • Social marginalization in the work team, due to the senior's calendar age. • Reminder of professional restrictions and the limit of further development of a senior worker, due to calendar age. • Reminding of the worker's lack of prospects for the organization, due to the senior's calendar age.

The cause of the above-mentioned manifestations of social discrimination of mentally working seniors in the workplace must be sought in the reduction of the value of the human personality of seniors in society in general, and thus also in the eyes of younger colleagues at the workplace. At the same time, figuratively speaking, recognizing active mentally working seniors, many younger people at the workplace "don't know what they are doing". Because seniors, their colleagues and colleagues who are close to them, are mostly experienced, psychologically mature human personalities and self-realized individuals, who in themselves are a source of knowledge for others. In this way, younger people can learn from the model of their mature personality, raise their own expertise and professionalism, and learn a lot in life in the presence of senior colleagues.

A thought at the end of the post and to think about why professionally active, mentally working seniors want to work, want to realize themselves and want to hand over to Life what they have received in the wreath, that is, their talent and talent. Because they capitalized on the gift of giftedness and talent with their lifelong efforts, studies and activities. And now they surrender themselves through their own creative self-realization. They have the right, as long as they want to, to work productively even in their senior years, and what they have done for others, they deserve optimal and favorable conditions for self-realization, regardless of their calendar age. Because "there is no better destiny for a person than to fulfill his mission well." Montaigne

Author: Prof. PhDr. Mária Machalová, CSc. Bibliography:

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