Encore adulthood : boomers on the edge of risk, renewal, and purpose

The Baby Boomer generation is facing a time of heightened uncertainty. Blessed with unprecedented levels of education, health, and life expectancy, many hope to contribute to society after their retirement. Yet they must also navigate ambiguous career exits and retirement paths, as established scripts for schooling, parenting, and careers continue to unravel. In __Encore Adulthood__, Phyllis Moen presents the realities of the "encore" life stage - the years between traditional careers and childraising and old age. Drawing on large-scale data sets and interviews with Boomers, HR personnel, and policymakers, this book illuminates the challenges that Boomers encounter as they transition from traditional careers into retirement. Beyond data analysis, Moen discusses the personal impact for Boomers' wellbeing, happiness, and health when they are unable to engage in meaningful work during their encore years, as well as the potential economic loss that would occur when a large, qualified group of people prematurely exit the workforce. Moen concludes with proposals for a range of encore jobs that could galvanize Boomers to take on desirable and sought-after second acts, emphasizing meaningful work over high-paying jobs and flexibility over long hours. An important analysis of an understudied and new life stage, __Encore Adulthood__ makes an important contribution to the existing scholarship on careers, work, and retirement. Content: Cover Encore Adulthood: Boomers on the Edge of Risk, Renewal, and Purpose Copyright Dedication Contents List of Figures Encore Adulthood 1: An Encore to Conventional Adulthood A New Life Course for the Twenty-First Century? The Way Things Are Why Encore Adulthood Matters Key Themes A Triple Agenda Agenda #1: Recognizing Inertia Agenda #2: Time-Shifting Improvisations Agenda #3: Innovations A Road Map AGENDA #1: Recognizing Inertia 2: Outdated Career and Life-Course Templates Careers and the Life Course as Institutions Career and Life Stages Time Shifting. Institutional InertiaWhat Makes Something an Institution? Sources of Institutional Inertia Age and Gender Cohort Historical Period Conclusions 3: Context: Inertia, Upheavals, Inequality Three Institutional Logics The Unencumbered Worker Institutional Logic The Lockstep Institutional Logic The "Hard Work Pays Off " Institutional Logic An Unraveling Employer/Employee Contract The Way Things Were The Way Things Are An Unraveling Retirement The Way Things Were The Way Things Are Times of Transition: Three Mismatches The Work-Time Mismatch The Life-Course Mismatch. The Risk-Safety Net MismatchConclusions AGENDA #2: Time-Shifting Improvisations 4: Improvising Plans for the Future The New Leaning Out Planning and Decisions Under Uncertainty Risky Choices Social Contexts Relational Contexts Ambivalent Planning in an Unsettled Climate An Institutional, Comparative Framing Planning (or Falling Into) the Gendered Life Course Do Couples Plan Together? Singles' Plans and Possibilities Conclusions 5: Improvising Work, Civic Engagement, Retirement Four Pathways through Encore Adulthood Pathway #1. Neotraditional Time Shifting. Pathway #2. Time Shifting for the Long GamePathway #3. "Portfolio" Time Shifting Pathway #4. Unanticipated Time Shifting Varieties and Inequalities in the Encore Adult Experience Linked Pathways Conclusions 6: Improvising Health, Well-Being, Purpose Health in Context The Social Determinants of Health Physical Health Cognitive Functioning Happiness and Well-Being The Stress of Transitions and Daily Life Work, Retirement, and Health Job and Time Control Retirement Family-Care Work and Health Three Protective Factors Protective Effects of Education. Protective Effects of Social EngagementRelationships Public Engagement Successful Aging or Purpose in Encore Adulthood? Protective Effects of a Sense of Control Conclusions Implications for those in Encore Adulthood Investigate Communicate Activate Appreciate Implications for Public Health AGENDA #3: Innovations 7: Institutional Work, Pockets of Change Institutional Inertia: A Reminder Pockets of Innovation in Public Policy Pockets of Innovation in Higher Education Lifelong Learning IT and Encore Education Learning about Next Steps Pockets of Innovation in Organizations. This book describes a new life stage, encore adulthood, sandwiched between conventional adulthood—traditional careers and childrearing—and conventional old age. A time of varied paths in work, retirement, family care, or civic engagement, this stage is made possible by medical advances and lifestyle changes improving population health and longevity. The encore adult years occur around ages 55 to 75, as Boomers begin to think about second acts. Twenty-first-century life in North America and Europe is changing in remarkable ways—characterized by the book’s four key themes: First are similarities in changes at both ends of adulthood, emerging adulthood and encore adulthood. Both Millennials and Boomers are without scripts for what’s next. Second, these times of rapid social, economic, and technological changes enable people to experiment, opening up opportunities for some to fashion new ways of working and living. Third, opportunities for renewal and heightened risks are unequally distributed; education, class, gender, race, and age expand or narrow life chances and life quality. Fourth is the distinctly gendered life courses of women and men, with financial, physical, and emotional well-being implications. The book is divided into three sections, each representing one of three research, policy, and action agendas: first is recognizing institutional inertia, and the outdatedness of contemporary career, retirement and life-course templates. Second is supporting Boomers’ time-shifting improvisations, their alternative pathways. Third is institutional work, including social innovations in language, customs, and policies opening up varied and customized career, retirement, and life-course paths Boomers Have Unprecedented Levels Of Education, Health, And Life Expectancy, But Confront Uncertain Futures In The Face Of A Competitive Economy And Disappearing Safety Nets. Many Seek New Paths During The Encore Years-the Time Between Family- And Career-building And Old Age. In Encore Adulthood, Phyllis Moen Uses In-depth Interviews With Boomer Women And Men As Well As Trends In Census Data To Chronicle The Risks And Opportunities Of This Evolving Life-course Phase. While Some Boomers Improvise Purposeful Ways Of Working And Living, Others Experience The Costs Of Cumulative Inequality. Moen Argues For A Range Of Flexible Career, Schooling, And Retirement Pathways That Better Fit Life In The Twenty-first Century. An Encore To Conventional Adulthood -- Outdated Career And Life-course Templates -- Context: Inertia, Upheavals, Inequality -- Improvising Plans For The Future -- Improvising Work, Civic Engagement, Retirement -- Improvising Health, Well-being, Purpose -- Institutional Work, Pockets Of Change -- Transforming Institutions And Lives. Phyllis Moen. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.