Intergenerational equity in economic, psychological, and sociological contexts, is the notion of fairness or justice between generations. The concept can be applied to fairness in dynamics between children, youth, adults, and seniors. It can also be applied to fairness between generations currently living and future generations.[1]
Conversations about intergenerational equity may include basic human needs, economic needs, environmental needs and subjective human well-being.[2] It is often discussed in public economics, especially with regard to transition economics,[3]social policy, and government budget-making.[4] Many cite the growing U.S. national debt as an example of intergenerational inequity, as future generations will shoulder the consequences. Intergenerational equity is also explored in environmental concerns,[5] including sustainable development,[6] and climate change. The continued depletion of natural resources that has occurred in the past century will likely be a significant burden for future generations. Intergenerational equity is also discussed with regard to standards of living, specifically on inequities in the living standards experienced by people of different ages and generations.[7][8][9][10][11] Intergenerational equity issues also arise in the arenas of elderly care, social justice, and housing affordability.[12][13][14]
A "weak sustainability" perspective argues that intergenerational equity would be achieved if losses to the environment that future generations face were offset by greater gains in economic progress (as measured by contemporary mechanisms/metrics). Some adherents also prioritize the moral concerns about those alive today, putting a discount rate on outcomes for future generations when accounting for generational equity.[44] Others disagree.[45][46][47] From the "strong sustainability" perspective, no amount of economic progress (or as measured by contemporary metrics) can justify leaving future generations with a degraded environment. Sharon Beder cautions that the "weak" perspective lacks a knowledge of the future and which intrinsically valuable resources will not be able to be replaced by technology.[48]
Standards of living usage
Discussions of intergenerational equity in standards of living reference differences between people of different ages or of different generations. Two perspectives on intergenerational equity in living standards have been distinguished by Australian sociologist and demographers Rice, Temple, and McDonald.[9] The first perspective – a "cross-sectional" perspective – focuses how living standards at a particular point in time vary between people of different ages. The relevant issue is the degree to which, at a particular point in time, people of different ages enjoy equal living standards. The second perspective – a "cohort" perspective – focuses on how living standards over a lifetime vary between people of different generations. For intergenerational equity, the relevant issue becomes the degree to which people of different generations enjoy equal living standards over their lifetimes.[9]
↑Summers, J. K.; Smith, L. M. (October 2014). "The Role of Social and Intergenerational Equity in Making Changes in Human Well-Being Sustainable". Ambio. 43 (6): 718–728. Bibcode:2014Ambio..43..718S. doi:10.1007/s13280-013-0483-6. ISSN0044-7447. PMC4165836. PMID24402649.
↑(2005) "Economics of Intergenerational Equity in Transition Economies"Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine The PIE International Workshop (10–11 March 2005)
↑Thompson, J. (May 2003) Research Paper no. 7 2002-03 Intergenerational Equity: Issues of Principle in the Allocation of Social Resources Between this Generation and the NextArchived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine. Social Policy Group for the Parliament of Australia.
↑Gosseries, Axel (November 26, 2008). "Theories of intergenerational justice: a synopsis". S.A.P.I.EN.S. 1 (1) – via journals.openedition.org.
↑Carter, Neil. (2005) Core Principles of Sustainable DevelopmentArchived 2012-05-24 at the Wayback Machine Cambridge University Press. Fathom.com
↑d'Albis, Hippolyte; Badji, Ikpidi (2017). "Intergenerational inequalities in standards of living in France"(PDF). Économie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics. 491–492: 71–92. doi:10.24187/ecostat.2017.491d.1906.
123d'Albis, Hippolyte; Badji, Ikpidi; El Mekkaoui, Najat; Navaux, Julien (2020). "Private asset income in France: Is there a breakdown of intergenerational equity between 1979 and 2011?"(PDF). Journal of the Economics of Ageing. 17 (100137): 100137. doi:10.1016/j.jeoa.2017.11.002. S2CID158450251.
1 2 3 4 5 Rice, James M. ; Temple, Jeromey B.; McDonald, Peter F. (2017). "オーストラリアにおける世代間の私的消費と公的消費" (PDF) . Australasian Journal on Ageing . 36 (4): 279– 285. doi : 10.1111/ajag.12489 . hdl : 11343/253838 . PMID 29205845 . S2CID 21715593 .