The senilization of the rural population and the problem of old people are
not specific to Yugoslavia alone but are a corollary of modern industrial development
in all developing countries. In Yugoslavia this process serves as a special
indicator of the social changes and transformation taking place in the country’s
rural areas.
In the social strukture of the Yugoslav society, old peasant households already
form a major social category with a special social position. Their common
characteristic can be seen in the rapid rate at which they are dying out both
biologically and productively.
In this article the author discusses the results obtained by one of his investigations.
He analyses the social position of old people in rural districts from the
point of view of social changes in family groups, of changes in relations between
the generations, and of the social insurance of old people.
The author deals especially with the problem of the social insurance of old
people. Social development in Yugoslavia since the war has destroyed the peasant\u27s
traditional form of old-age social security while a new one is not yet available,
the peasant family’s protective role is nowdays seriously endangered and the social
position of old persons within the family has essentially changed. Thus it is not
accidental that certain sociologists regard the present generation of old people
in rural districts as deprived of their rights.
In conclusion the author calls for efforts on the part of the Yugoslav society
to try and find a speedy and humane solution for the problem of old people in rural districts
