OLD AGE AND URBAN POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

Transcription

1 OLD AGE AND URBAN POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

2 Also by Peter Lloyd-Sherlock OLD AGE AND SOCIAL POLICY: Global Comparisons (editor with P. Johnson)

3 Old Age and Urban Poverty in the Developing World The Shanty Towns of Buenos Aires Peter Lloyd-Sherlock Lecturer in Public Health London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine University of London PA

4 First published in Great Britain 1997 by MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN DOl / ISBN (ebook) First published in the United States of America 1997 by ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., Scholarly and Reference Division, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y ISBN Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lloyd-Sherlock, Peter. Old age and urban poverty in the developing world : the shanty towns of Buenos Aires I Peter Lloyd-Sherlock. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN (cloth) I. Aged-Argentina-Buenos Aires. 2. Poor-Argentina-Buenos Aires. 3. Poor aged-argentina-buenos Aires. 4. Poor-Housing~ ~Argentina-Buenos Aires. I. Title. HQ 1064.A 7L56! '0982'll-dc21 97~7122 CIP Peter Lloyd-Sherlock! 997 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. 90 Totten ham Court Road, London WI P 9HE. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources I I

5 To my sister Jane and the memory of Eulogia Barreto

6

7 Contents List of Maps, Tables and Figures Acknowledgements List of Acronyms Glossary viii xii xiii xv 1. Ageing and Economic Welfare in the Developing World 1 2. Ageing and Poverty in Argentina Social Security and Other Income Strategies Available to the Elderly in Buenos Aires The Case-studies: General Features and Local Initiatives for the Elderly The Case-studies: Individual Strategies Conclusions 223 Notes 232 Bibliography 247 Index 259 vn

8 List of Maps, Tables and Figures MAPS 2.1 Greater Buenos Aires Lanus Municipal District Villa Jardin Villa Azul Villa Zavaleta 127 TABLES 1.1 Estimated percentage of total population aged 60 and over by major world region, Medium-variant projections for percentage of total population aged 60 and over by major world region, Population aged 60 and over in Chad, Iran and Kenya, Population aged 60 and over in Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, the Philippines and Indonesia, Population aged 60 and over in Argentina, Brazil, China, India and Thailand, Gender ratios among the elderly in the developed and developing world Selected developing countries with little formal social security Selected developing countries with moderate levels of formal social security Selected developing countries with relatively comprehensive levels of formal social security Economically active population covered by social insurance in selected Latin American countries, Rates of economic activity by age group in selected developing countries and regions, Proportion of population in dependent age groups for developed and developing regions, (%) 26 vm

9 List of Maps, Tables and Figures ix 1.13 Economic activity rate of population aged 10 or over for developed and developing regions, (%) Average life expectancy at birth in Argentina, Net immigration to Argentina, Place of birth of the Argentine population, Age structure by place of birth (%), Population of Greater Buenos Aires, Components of demographic growth in Greater Buenos Aires (%), Place of birth of population resident in Buenos Aires, Sectoral composition of the labour force, Composition of the urban labour force, (%) Estimated per capita secondary income distribution in Greater Buenos Aires, Selected estimates of the shanty town population of Greater Buenos Aires, Population aged 60 or over in villas in selected districts of Buenos Aires Province, Social assistance funding by the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Quito, Social insurance coverage, Value of social insurance benefits, Periodisation of development and welfare policy Geographical social insurance coverage in selected areas, Variations in pension payments by fund, June Non-contributory pensions granted by ANSES and the National Congress, Membership of welfare organisations in the Federal Capital, Period of foundation of NGOs still operational by June Affiliation to private insurance schemes, Proportion of total and elderly population living alone, Changes in the structure of Argentine households, (as % of total households) Comparison of household structure between Federal Capital and Argentina as a whole between over-65-year-olds and the total population Individual survey data c. 1990: the structure of households containing elderly in provincial capitals and La Boca (%) 94

10 x Old Age and Urban Poverty in the Developing World 3.15 Daily activities of population aged 60 or over, Degree of economic support/autonomy from other household or family members, c Rates of economic activity in Argentina, Additional sources of income (other than benefits, family or employment) for pensioners Age and poverty among household heads in Greater Buenos Aires, 1980 and Levels of illiteracy in villas and Argentina as a whole, Attendance of villeros at educational establishments, Elderly population in Villa Jardin, 1980 and Population structure of Villa Jardin, Poverty indicators for Villa Jardin and Argentina, Population estimates for Villa Azul Age and sex structure of Villa Azul, Rates of economic activity in Villa Azul and Argentina as a whole, 1990 (%) Proportion of elderly men and women in Villa Azul defined as household heads (%) INDEC data for Villa Zavaleta's census district, Annual number of meetings held by the Grupo de la Tercera Edad 'Union y Esperanza \ Villa Azul Age and sex structure of sample households, 1992/ Place of birth Date of arrival (Villa Azul and Villa Jardin) Principal employment during lifetime Principal lifetime employment and social security contributions Type of social security benefits held Average benefit values (1993 pesos) Present employment Size of household Degree of economic dependence on household members other than partner Nature of economic ties within household Degree of economic dependence on other family members Nature of economic ties with other family members Degree of economic dependence on friends and neighbours Nature of economic ties with friends and neighbours Commonly occurring income combinations Number of income sources 203

11 List of Maps, Tables and Figures XI 5.18 Gender comparisons for ex-informal sector workers Comparisons of income sources between villas 'Young' versus 'old' old Comparisons between villas and Argentina as a whole Contributions and receipt of insurance benefit Criteria determining eligibility for assistance benefits Respondents pursuing pension claims 210 FIGURES 1.1 Demographic transition and population ageing Percentage of population aged 65 or over, Crude birth rate per 1000 in Argentina and Italy, Population aged 65 and over in Argentina and Buenos Aires, Index of real industrial wages in Argentina, Households below poverty line in Greater Buenos Aires, (%) Alternative estimates of social insurance affiliation, Composition of social spending in Argentina, Social assistance expenditure by provincial and municipal governments as a percentage of gross national product, Social provision for the elderly in the municipality of Lanus Mutual aid society expenditure in 1943 (%) Combined income sources for the elderly 104

12 Acknowledgements A large number of people made important contributions to this book. Dr Colin Lewis of the London School of Economics supervised the PhD thesis on which large parts of the book were based. He remained essential to the project throughout its development, providing excellent guidance and constant encouragement. I would also like to thank the administrative staff of the Department of Economic History at the London School of Economics, as well as Bernardo Duggan and Anne Arthur. I would also like to thank Dr Paul Johnson and Dr Walter Little, the external examiners of the original thesis, for their support and feedback. In Argentina, Silvia Simone and Nelida Redondo of CEPEV gave invaluable advice and key initial contacts in Villa Jardin and Villa Zavaleta. I am also very grateful to Laura Golbert, Ruben Lo Vuolo and other researchers at CIEPP for their kind support. I would also like to thank the residents of Villa Jardin, Villa Azul and Villa Zavaleta for their hospitality, understanding and co-operation. Finally, I would like to thank the following organisations for their financial support: the Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines, the Economic and Social Research Council, the University of London, the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland and the Leverhulme Trust. I am especially grateful to my parents who provided financial assistance on a rather more ad hoc basis. xn

13 List of Acronyms ANSES Administracion Nacional de Seguridad Social (National Social Security Administration) BNSE Bono Nacional Solidario de Emergencia (National Emergency Food Voucher) CELADE Centro Latinoamericano de Demografia (Latin American Centre for Demography) CEPAL Comision Economica para America Latina (Economic Commission for Latin America) CEPEV Centro de Promocion y Estudios de la Vejez (Centre for the Promotion and Study of the Elderly) CMV Comision Municipal de la Vivienda (Municipal Housing Commission) CNV Comision Nacional de la Vivienda (National Housing Commission) CVL Centro 'La Virgen de Lujdn' - Villa Zavaleta CUNP Centro Urbana Nuevo Parroquia (New Parish Urban Centre) DMTA Direccion Municipal de la Tercera Edad (Municipal Directorate for the Elderly) DNA Direccion Nacional de la Ancianidad (National Directorate for the Elderly) ECLA(C) Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean FEP Fundacion Eva Peron (Eva Peron Foundation) FOC Fundacion de Organizacion Comunitaria (Foundation for Community Organisation) GADIS Grupo de Andlisis y Desarrollo Institucional y Social (Institutional and Social Development Analysis Group) GBA Greater Buenos Aires GDP gross domestic product GNP gross national product HAI Help Age International IAF Inter-American Foundation ILO International Labour Office IMF International Monetary Fund INDEC Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (National Statistics and Census Institute) xni

14 xiv INSSJP MAEC MCBA MHSA NCV NGO NHT ODA OECD PAIS PAMBA PAMI PAN PBA STE UIS UN UNICEF Old Age and Urban Poverty in the Developing World Instituto Nacional de Servicios Sociales para Jubilados y Pensionados (National Institute of Social Services for Pensioners) Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Culto (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religion) Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Municipality of the Federal Capital) Ministry of Health and Social Action New Comision Vecinal - Villa Zavaleta non-governmental organisation nucleo de habitacion transitorio (temporary housing camp) Overseas Development Administration Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Programa Alimentario Integral Solidario (Provincial Food Programme) Programa de Alimentacion de la Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Federal Capital Municipal Food Programme) Programa de Asistencia Medica Integral (Integral Medical Assistance Programme) Programa de Alimentacion Nacional (National Food Programme) Province of Buenos Aires Secretaria de la Tercera Edad (Secretariat for the Elderly) urban informal sector United Nations United Nations Children's Fund

15 Glossary aguinaldo Centro de Jubilados changas jubilacion jubilado/a Junta Vecinal libreta pensionado/a Proceso trdmites villa villero/a Annual bonus PAMI pensioners' day centre Odd jobs Insurance pension Holder of insurance pension Neighbourhood association Informal credit system Holder of assistance pension Military governments of 1976 to 1982 Paperwork Shanty town Shanty town resident XV