How can the cultural consumption of the new generations, particularly that of families with lower educational levels, be increased? Françoise Benhamou provides some key points in this interview.  

Does education really remove social barriers? Robert Erikson analyses the degree of social mobility in advanced democracies.

Any household must face up to three challenges: having a sufficient income, maintaining a financial balance and avoiding situations of poverty. This report analyses the social needs linked to material living conditions.

Could we convert cities into healthy places to live? This article analyses to what point so-called “green infrastructures” can offset carbon emissions and decrease air pollution in the city.

Ageing and the care of elderly people in rural areas pose a challenge and an opportunity for change: with an ever older and increasingly male population, men will have to become more involved in the caregiver role, traditionally associated with women.

José van Dijck reflects on how the major internet platforms are determining how we communicate, buy, and even how we behave.  

A predominance of low-added value employment, lack of investment in innovation and precarious conditions for workers are distancing Spain from the knowledge economy. How can this situation be corrected?

How has the economic crisis affected the productivity of universities? This article explains how public centres have reorganised their resources better than private centres and have shown greater efficiency.

Although the economic crisis has produced a generalised impoverishment of the different population segments in our country, the impact has been much greater among the poorer classes.

Who cares for the carers? This article by the Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” explains the changes that have taken place in the figure of the carer and also the importance of carers receiving care too.

A programme that contributes to improving quality of life for elderly people and that reinforces their autonomy and social participation, above all in situations of vulnerability.

Tine Rostgaard, a lecturer in Citizenship and Elderly People in Denmark, introduces in this interview the concept of reablement and explains how work is being done in other countries to stimulate the elderly people’s independence.

Why is the number of elderly women who live alone continually increasing? The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” studies the causes of this phenomenon, which has important implications in the design of welfare policies.

The house we live in is closely related with our quality of life and health, especially during old age. In turn, the quality of our home will depend on the municipality in which it is located. At this intersection, we tackle the question of whether it is better to grow old in a village or a city.

How do elderly people contribute to intergenerational care? In 2016, some 35% of elderly people in our country regularly took charge of caring for their grandchildren.

Over the course of the last decade, the number of elderly people who make use of new technologies has not ceased to grow. By 2017, some 28% were sending messages via electronic means.

To what point do elderly people participate in political activities? Some 6.5% of men and 4.3% of women aged between 65 and 74 years in our country participate actively in politics.

With what frequency do elderly people meet with their families? In our country, the minimum weekly frequency amply exceeds the European average for both sexes.

This indicator measures the level of independence in elderly people; this is based on variables such as occupation, social participation, independent living and the capacity for healthy ageing.

How many people aged over 65 years have difficulties in performing some of the basic activities of everyday life? In our country, 33% of people aged over 65 years have problems washing themselves independently.