しかし老人の現在のこうした低い地位も変わりつつあるのかもしれない。

Sentence Discussions Japanese
#1
English Translation

The current low status of the elderly may be changing, however.

How does (マス-stem)-つつある differ in connotation from (て-verb)いる?

My guess from looking at examples is that it has a connotation of 傾向がある, or “there is a trend.” But in some cases, it seems to mean the same thing as the present progressive.

#2

@ericaw
〜つつある means “now entering into the starting point of the change”. 〜ている is a progressive present form, so the change has already happened and is continuing.

In other words, 〜ている is in the “middle” of the change, not at the “entry point”.