Elderly Caregiving in Context: A Comparative Theoretical and Conceptual Analysis of Neoliberal and Critical Gerontology Approaches to Policy and Services in the Global North and South

  ABSTRACT: The accelerating growth of the global aging population presents significant challenges and opportunities for social policy, health systems, and social work practice. Existing theoretical frameworks, particularly neoliberalism and critical gerontology, provide important yet incomplete insights into the complexities of aging and elder care. Neoliberalism emphasizes efficiency, individual choice, and market-based solutions; however, it has been widely critiqued for reinforcing inequality and commodifying care. In contrast, critical gerontology highlights structural inequalities, power relations, and the socially constructed nature of aging, while advocating for social justice and collective responsibility. Nonetheless, its limited engagement with issues of resource allocation and system efficiency constrains its applicability within contemporary policy contexts.This paper advances a Neo-Critical Gerontology framework as an integrative and forward-looking approach to elder care. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship and global evidence, the framework synthesizes the strengths of both paradigms while addressing their respective limitations. The framework reconceptualizes aging as both socially constructed and materially conditioned, shaped by cumulative life-course inequalities and broader political-economic forces, while redefining agency as relational and context-dependent, contingent upon equitable access to resources and institutional supports. It further advances a critical re-examination of the commodification and privatization of care, advocating for a hybrid model in which markets operate within strong regulatory frameworks and the state ensures universal access to high-quality services. By integrating structural critique with pragmatic policy considerations, the Neo-Critical Gerontology framework offers a comprehensive paradigm for advancing equitable, sustainable, and inclusive elder care systems.

KEY WORDS:Elderly caregiving, neoliberalism, critical gerontology, social work, social policy