Understanding the Perception of Generational Conflicts and Public Policies: Age and Class Differences

Abstract

This paper presents a summary of the findings on the general public’s perception of intergenerational conflicts and age-related policies (based on the 2020 Survey of Public Perception and Values toward Policy Responses to Low-fertility and Aging Society). About 76.5% of respondents found that the chance of intergenerational interactions decreased over time, while 39.1% pointed to the lack of intergenerational interactions as a main cause of generational conflicts. Also, 82.1% of respondents thought that the state’s care burden grew with the aging of the population. More than half viewed that older workers were less productive than younger workers and were keeping young people from entering the labor market. The findings suggest that public and private entities need to implement programs to strengthen intergenerational communication and improve the general public’s perception of older workers and productive aging, with a view to reducing intergenerational conflicts and achieving an age-integrated society.