FITZPATRICK Tanya R., VINICK Barbara H., BUSHFIELD Suzanne
Journal article citation:
Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 46(2), 2005, pp.69-84.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
As an element of anticipatory socialization, ability to predict future roles accurately may impact subsequent adaptation. Part of a study of retirement and marital quality, this longitudinal research examined husbands' and wives' (n = 61 couples) anticipations of change (more/less/same) in six individual and joint activities following husbands' retirement, and compared them with couples' reported experiences a year after husbands had retired. With the exception of household tasks, continuity in levels of activity from pre-to post-retirement was greater than couples had anticipated. Cross-classification of responses at baseline and Time 2 indicated only modest congruence between anticipated and experienced change in activities. Accuracy of anticipation was not related significantly to retirement
As an element of anticipatory socialization, ability to predict future roles accurately may impact subsequent adaptation. Part of a study of retirement and marital quality, this longitudinal research examined husbands' and wives' (n = 61 couples) anticipations of change (more/less/same) in six individual and joint activities following husbands' retirement, and compared them with couples' reported experiences a year after husbands had retired. With the exception of household tasks, continuity in levels of activity from pre-to post-retirement was greater than couples had anticipated. Cross-classification of responses at baseline and Time 2 indicated only modest congruence between anticipated and experienced change in activities. Accuracy of anticipation was not related significantly to retirement satisfaction as hypothesized, but direction of retirement-satisfaction mean scores, especially among wives, suggest that future testing would be warranted.
... boomers' relationships as they retire, focusing on the transitions people go through as they age, such as retirement and a decline in physical and mental health. Recommendations for government, commissioners, charities and older people are presented.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Good quality personal relationships are important to everyone at all stages of life. This report explores the role of couple, family and social relationships for the baby boomer generation and how these may be put under strain in older age. It draws on a comprehensive literature review, an analysis of publicly available datasets, an an Ipsos MORI surevey of 1,390 adults about their attitudes to ageing. The first section of the report outlines why relationships are important, and argues they are good for both individuals and society, and should be considered the third pillar of a good old age. The second section reviews existing data and research on what is known about the relationships of baby boomers and how they are likely to change with age. The third section looks at the strains of baby boomers' relationships as they retire, focusing on the transitions people go through as they age, such as retirement and a decline in physical and mental health. Recommendations for government, commissioners, charities and older people are presented.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Challenges the assumption that gender can be treated as static over the life course and highlights the differential social effects of ageing on women's and men's roles, relationships and identity. Includes papers on: conformity and resistance as women age; choice and constraint in the retirement of older married women; the married lives of older people; changes in gender roles in advanced old
Challenges the assumption that gender can be treated as static over the life course and highlights the differential social effects of ageing on women's and men's roles, relationships and identity. Includes papers on: conformity and resistance as women age; choice and constraint in the retirement of older married women; the married lives of older people; changes in gender roles in advanced old age; caring between older couples; gender roles, employment and informal care; and gender and elder abuse.
JOHNSON Richard W., UCCELLO Cori E., GOLDWYN Joshua
Journal article citation:
Gerontologist, 45(1), February 2005, pp.36-35.
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
... survivor protection. The analysis consists of a probit model of the pension payout decision, based on data from the 1992–2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. More than one quarter (28%) of married men and two thirds of married women receiving employer-sponsored retirement annuities declined survivor protection. Men with small pensions and limited household wealth, men in better health than
Retirees in traditional pension plans must generally choose between single life annuities, which provide regular payments until death, and joint and survivor annuities, which pay less each month but continue to make payments to the spouse after the death of the retired worker. This article examines the payout decision and measures the share of married retirees with pension annuities who forego survivor protection. The analysis consists of a probit model of the pension payout decision, based on data from the 1992–2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. More than one quarter (28%) of married men and two thirds of married women receiving employer-sponsored retirement annuities declined survivor protection. Men with small pensions and limited household wealth, men in better health than their spouses, and men whose spouses have pension coverage from their own employers are more likely than other men to reject survivor protection. Most workers appear to make payout decisions by rationally balancing the costs and benefits of each type of annuity, suggesting that existing measures to encourage joint and survivor annuities are adequate. However, the growth in 401(k) plans, which are generally not covered by existing laws protecting spousal pension rights, may leave widows vulnerable.
Subject terms:
marriage, men, older people, pensions, retirement, service uptake, death, employment;
Ageing and Society, 24(2), March 2004, pp.213-233.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Retirement is frequently a period of change, when the roles and relationships associated with individuals' previous labour market positions are transformed. It is also a time when personal relationships, including the marital relationship and relationships with friends and family, come under increased scrutiny and may be realigned. Many studies of adjustment to retirement focus primarily the combination of labour market and non-labour-market activities in which they are involved prior to state retirement age and as they withdraw from paid work. It explores how older people invoke various gendered identities to negotiate change and continuity during this time. The paper argues that gender roles and identities are central to this process and that the reflexive deployment of gender may rank alongside financial resources and social capital in its importance to the achievement of satisfying retirement transitions. Amongst those interviewed, traditional gendered roles predominated, and these sat less comfortably with retirement for men than for women.
Retirement is frequently a period of change, when the roles and relationships associated with individuals' previous labour market positions are transformed. It is also a time when personal relationships, including the marital relationship and relationships with friends and family, come under increased scrutiny and may be realigned. Many studies of adjustment to retirement focus primarily on individual motivation; by contrast, this paper seeks to examine the structure of resources within which such decisions are framed. The paper examines the contribution that gender roles and identities make to the overall configuration of resources available to particular individuals. It draws upon qualitative research conducted with older people in four contrasting parts of the United Kingdom, and examines the combination of labour market and non-labour-market activities in which they are involved prior to state retirement age and as they withdraw from paid work. It explores how older people invoke various gendered identities to negotiate change and continuity during this time. The paper argues that gender roles and identities are central to this process and that the reflexive deployment of gender may rank alongside financial resources and social capital in its importance to the achievement of satisfying retirement transitions. Amongst those interviewed, traditional gendered roles predominated, and these sat less comfortably with retirement for men than for women.
Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 38(4), 2002, pp.19-37.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
... lives is not related to the health impairments of black people at the time of retirement or 10 years later, but strongly related to the health impairments of white people.
It is widely believed that people who earned more while they were young tend to be healthier in old age. This article questions whether this generalisation applies equally to black and white elderly people. A multivariate analysis, which included gender, marital status, age, education and number of children raised as control variables, indicated that the level of earnings during people's working lives is not related to the health impairments of black people at the time of retirement or 10 years later, but strongly related to the health impairments of white people.
This article examines the relationship between husband and wife equality in late adulthood and two dimensions of marital equality: burnout and satisfaction with marriage. Husband and wife equality was examined on the basis of marital power relations and the division of roles in three areas: in home tasks, financial management and social life. Equality in the performance of home tasks correlated positively with burn out among husbands. Equality in power relations correlated positively with marital satisfaction among wives. On the whole wives reported a higher level of burnout and dissatisfaction.
This article examines the relationship between husband and wife equality in late adulthood and two dimensions of marital equality: burnout and satisfaction with marriage. Husband and wife equality was examined on the basis of marital power relations and the division of roles in three areas: in home tasks, financial management and social life. Equality in the performance of home tasks correlated positively with burn out among husbands. Equality in power relations correlated positively with marital satisfaction among wives. On the whole wives reported a higher level of burnout and dissatisfaction.
Journal of Family Social Work, 7(1), 2003, pp.83-100.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
Recent studies view retirement as a family transition that affects others in the close family circle, as well as the retiree, and is a process that occurs over time, and not as a single event. It therefore behooves us to learn more about how husbands' retirement affects the women with whom male retirees share their lives. Furthermore, most previous research has studies the wives of retirees using cross-sectional designs. In general, findings have indicated that husbands' retirement has little effect on wives' marital quality. This study is an advance over much of the previous research in that the authors use a longitudinal design. They have examined wives' assessments of marital quality including contextual life changes before their husbands' retirements, and have compared the assessments of the same wives following their husbands' retirements. To study these phenomena, the authors used data from the Normative Aging Study, administering the DAS to 61 wives prior and subsequent to husbands' retirement. They used means of the DAS scores and sub-scale scores at baseline and compared these scores at Time 2 by paired t-test. Positive changes in the "cohesion" sub-scale of wives' DAS scored before to after husbands' retirement suggests that shared activities increased after retirement, and that the increase was pleasing to the wives. Multiple regression analysis found that income change, and change in husbands' health contributed most to marital quality change among wives, with changes in wives' employment status also contributing. To specify retirement-context conditions including the subscales of satisfaction, cohesion, consensus and affection, additional multiple regression models indicated continuity in wives' marital quality scores pre-to post-husbands' retirement. Implications of the findings for practice and future research are discussed. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
Recent studies view retirement as a family transition that affects others in the close family circle, as well as the retiree, and is a process that occurs over time, and not as a single event. It therefore behooves us to learn more about how husbands' retirement affects the women with whom male retirees share their lives. Furthermore, most previous research has studies the wives of retirees using cross-sectional designs. In general, findings have indicated that husbands' retirement has little effect on wives' marital quality. This study is an advance over much of the previous research in that the authors use a longitudinal design. They have examined wives' assessments of marital quality including contextual life changes before their husbands' retirements, and have compared the assessments of the same wives following their husbands' retirements. To study these phenomena, the authors used data from the Normative Aging Study, administering the DAS to 61 wives prior and subsequent to husbands' retirement. They used means of the DAS scores and sub-scale scores at baseline and compared these scores at Time 2 by paired t-test. Positive changes in the "cohesion" sub-scale of wives' DAS scored before to after husbands' retirement suggests that shared activities increased after retirement, and that the increase was pleasing to the wives. Multiple regression analysis found that income change, and change in husbands' health contributed most to marital quality change among wives, with changes in wives' employment status also contributing. To specify retirement-context conditions including the subscales of satisfaction, cohesion, consensus and affection, additional multiple regression models indicated continuity in wives' marital quality scores pre-to post-husbands' retirement. Implications of the findings for practice and future research are discussed. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
Subject terms:
marriage, men, models, partners, quality of life, research methods, retirement, social work, women, families, employment;
Previous work on gender and ageing was dominated by a focus on older women. The present collection breaks with this tradition by emphasizing changing gender roles and relationships, gender identity and an examination of masculinities in midlife and later life. A theme running through the book is the need to reconceptualize partnership status, in order to understand the implications of both widowhood and divorce for older women and men, as well as new forms of relationships, such as Living Apart Together (LAT-relationships). There is also an underlying focus on how socio-economic circumstances influence the experiences of ageing and the ways transitions are negotiated.
Previous work on gender and ageing was dominated by a focus on older women. The present collection breaks with this tradition by emphasizing changing gender roles and relationships, gender identity and an examination of masculinities in midlife and later life. A theme running through the book is the need to reconceptualize partnership status, in order to understand the implications of both widowhood and divorce for older women and men, as well as new forms of relationships, such as Living Apart Together (LAT-relationships). There is also an underlying focus on how socio-economic circumstances influence the experiences of ageing and the ways transitions are negotiated.
... and people born in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and abroad. Section 3 presents economic data, including: workforce change; employment; industrial structure; occupational structure (including sex); travel to work; working hours; unemployment; and early retirement. Section 4 is on housing, including: housing type; household size; housing demand; homelessness; housing tenure; owner occupier, council,
Atlas showing information about the population of Britain. In 7 sections, each containing maps, tables, an article and a bibliography. Section 1 looks at population and includes information on: distribution; boundaries; land use; and density. Section 2 is on demography, including: fertility; sex; children; students; young adults; marriage; pensioners; people from minority ethnic communities; and people born in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and abroad. Section 3 presents economic data, including: workforce change; employment; industrial structure; occupational structure (including sex); travel to work; working hours; unemployment; and early retirement. Section 4 is on housing, including: housing type; household size; housing demand; homelessness; housing tenure; owner occupier, council, housing association, and private rented accommodation; and negative equity. Section 5 looks at health issues such as: illness; illness and age; heating; washing; hospitals; life expectancy; death (causes, avoidable and premature deaths). Section 6 is on society in general and section 7 deals with politics and political parties.
Subject terms:
heating, homeless people, homelessness, income, hospital social work, housing, marriage, local authority housing, mortality, mothers, older people, physical illness, population, rented accommodation, retirement, students, statistical methods, unemployment, young people, black and minority ethnic people, children, death, demographics, families, employment, gender, health;