Social attitudes towards the New Zealand superannuation scheme : a manifestation of normative intergenerational justice : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University, Palmerston North
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Date
2009
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Massey University
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Abstract
The purpose of the current study is to investigate New Zealanders’ social attitudes towards the
economic support for the aged provided by the New Zealand Superannuation Scheme. The
structure and nature of those social attitudes is revealed. The study examines social attitude
responses to determine if intergenerational justice plays any role in the nature of support for the
aged. One thousand and eighty-three participants were selected from the electoral roll and all
were sent a survey pack followed by two subsequent reminders. Five hundred and nineteen
people agreed to participate. The hypothesis is that New Zealanders agree that economic support
for the aged should be provided through the Superannuation Scheme, but that the nature of this
support varies according to demographic characteristics and individual perceptions of
intergenerational justice.
The survey results found that respondents support the economic provision for the aged in the
current Superannuation Scheme. However, they are less prepared to support those mechanisms
that maintain the Superannuation Scheme and they consider intergenerational transferability of
the Superannuation Scheme as important. A generational difference was found in the survey
among younger respondents, those forty-one and below, with regard to need taking precedence
for supporting the aged, concerning ideas about assessing the economic circumstances of the aged
and ideas about the balance of ‘advantages and disadvantages’ distributed to different
generations. Older generations, those respondents aged forty-two and above, supported the social
democratic form of the Superannuation Scheme. They believed that entitlement to returns was
more important than need and they opposed economic assessments for the receipt of the
Superannuation Benefit. However, older generations did not believe that differences in the
balance of ‘advantages and disadvantages’ between generations have occurred in New Zealand.
The survey results indicate that New Zealand is unique compared with other developed countries
in that there is little predictor value or correlation value for most of the demographic
characteristics pertaining to welfare attitudes towards the economic support of the aged.
Meanwhile, generation and household income have some predictor and correlation value in
relation to welfare attitudes towards the New Zealand Superannuation Scheme. Finally, the
Superannuation Scheme exists in a momentary formal state. It may be the non-transferability of
this Scheme between generations that poses a threat to the economic support of the aged, given
that the number of people in New Zealand reaching sixty-five is set to increase dramatically.
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Keywords
Older people, Economic support, Welfare attitudes