The increase in life expectancy is one of the greatest successes of humanity. But living longer, in addition to living better, also implies greater responsibility and commitment to the common good throughout life. The older adults, according to their abilities, have the duty and the responsibility to participate more and be more involved in promoting social well-being, contributing as much as possible to their community. These are the challenges inherent in self-determination and citizenship throughout the life cycle, which guarantee the rights of the elderly, but also shows their responsibility in sharing their values, knowledge, life experiences and skills with all generations, in particular the younger ones.

The 15th Session of the InterAções Symposium seeks to reflect on the self-determination and social commitment of the elderly to the community.

The evolution of the population socio-demographic structure is significantly influencing the demand for goods and services. In fact, people change their pattern of production, savings and consumption throughout their lives and these behaviors have a strong impact on the social and economic organization of societies. It is no coincidence that the fastest growing segment in terms of employment in Western countries has been leisure, recreation and health. However, what are the threats and the market opportunities that result from this change in the age structure of the population? And what are the implications of this change in consumption patterns? These are some questions that need to be asked, taking into account that, as this phenomena derived from human dynamics, they should be the object of equitative public policies that avoid social inequalities.

The 14th Session of the InterAções Symposium will highlight the impact of demographic ageing on consumption patterns, exploring the resulting market opportunities and the threats to the balance of intergenerational solidarity.

Ageism remains very common in traditional media, and there has been a significant increase in social media. This was highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, as older adults were often portraired as “defenseless and expendable elderly people”, as well illustrated by the spread of the “#BoomerRemover” hashtag. As such, it is essential that we take concerted action into knowing how to communicate ‘ageing’, so that we can guarantee an environment of respect, empathy and solidarity between all generations. This is a challenge for all of us that should not only involve media professionals, but also decision-makers, academics and researchers, as well as, fundamentally, older adults themselves, who ought to be be increasingly committed to dissipate the stereotypes assigned to them.

The 13th Session of the InterAções Symposium seeks to better understand the roots of age-based steriotypes and identify strategies to deconstruct the myths and the preconceptions.

Population ageing is reflected in the workforce age profile. Thus, if on the one hand, the increase in life expectancy makes it possible for people to work even later, sometimes even beyond the legal retirement age,on the other hand, it is necessary for organizations to adapt to this new reality, being able to promote longer, flexible, inclusive and healthier careers, creating conditions for workers of all ages to fulfil their potential throughout their working lives, facilitating the transition to retirement without compromising the balance between the reality of population ageing and the success of organizations.

On the 12th Session of the InterAções Symposium we will reflect on the transitiong into retirement, showing some projects, experiences and good practices that aim to combine active and healthy ageing with an adequate working environment throughout the life cycle.