SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONDITIONS OF ACTIVITIES OF THE ELDERLY

The ageing of societies becomes a cause of limiting by higher developed countries of their guardianship functions as well as of their performances for the seniors. In Poland the threshold of demographic old age had been crossed in 1968 (i.e. 7 per cent of the population). By the end of the year 2020 this amount shall already be of 19,4 per cent. The article is a result of several years of research work made in relation with different aspects and forms of activities of the elderly, including their professional work. The research was begun in 1994. The ageing itself considered as social phenomenon can develop in a double way: firstly - it can be a gradual retiring from the life of a society, and secondly - it can realise itself in an active participation and in adopting different social roles. The Author is occupied with the second kind of the ageing and discusses its particular aspects: professional work, social activity, leisure-work-recreation activity, activity within the family, cultural participation, hobbies developing, assuming a mentors’ role