scholarly journals The Life Course Construction of Inequalities in Health and Wealth in Old Age

2021 ◽  
pp. 97-109
Author(s):  
Michel Oris ◽  
Marie Baeriswyl ◽  
Andreas Ihle
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Differential Mortality ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Cumulative Processes ◽  
The Life Course

AbstractIn this contribution, we will mobilize the interdisciplinary life course paradigm to consider the processes through which individual heterogeneity in health and wealth is constructed all along life, from the cradle to old age. Considering altogether historical, family and individual times, the life course perspective has been developed in sociology, (lifespan) psychology and epidemiology, and has framed many important studies during the last four decades. The theory of cumulative disadvantage is for sure the most popular in social sciences, explaining how little inter-individual differences early in life expand all along life to reach maximal amplitude among the “young old” (before the selection by differential mortality at very old age). In lifespan psychology, the theory of cognitive reserve (educational level being a proxy) and its continuation, the theory of use or disuse (of cognition during adult life) have more or less the same explanatory power, cognition being a decisive precondition for active ageing and quality of life in old age. However, in spite of the success of those theoretical bodies, a prominent figure in the field, Glen Elder, recently observed that there is surprisingly little evidence for cumulative processes and that a wide variety of model specifications remain completely untested. This finding makes even more important a critical review of the literature which summarize several robust evidences, but also discuss contradictory results and suggest promising research tracks. This exercise considers the life course construction of inequalities in the distribution of objective resources older adults have (or not) “to live the life they own value” (to quote A. Sen 2001). But it is also crucial to consider the subjective component that is inherent to the understanding of well-being.

scholarly journals Opposite Ends: widows' narratives of contemporary late life

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Paula Vasara
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Letting Go ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Life Course

The life course perspective frames this study of contemporary late life. Thematic narrative analysis is employed to analyse the stories of 16 Finn­ish widows aged 79–89 years (Moving in Old Age: Transitions in Housing and Care research project) in order to explore the experiences related to growing old. The results indicate two kinds of narratives: nostalgic rem­iniscences about a happy past are typical of the retiring to solitude story, characterised by experiences of life nearing its end and of letting go; and those inclined towards the keeping up narrative are still seeking new ex­periences and playing active roles in everyday life. Both kinds of stories encompass well-being, in spite of their apparent differences in outcome. These results indicate that there is no single description of ageing well. Individual experiences of growing old are unique, and are interpreted within the frame of past experiences and understandings acquired over the life course. Therefore, leeway should be given for individual consider­ations regarding the particularities of life arrangements in advanced age.

From 9 to 91: health promotion through the life-course—illuminating the inner child

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margareta Sjöblom ◽  
Lars Jacobsson ◽  
Kerstin Öhrling ◽  
Catrine Kostenius
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
World Health ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Inner Child ◽  
The Life Course

Summary A life-course perspective is according to the World Health Organization about increasing the effectiveness of health promotion interventions at all ages. This targets the needs of human beings throughout their life. Descriptions of the phenomenon of the inner child invite the possibility that it may be of help when promoting health throughout the life-course. The aim was to describe and understand schoolchildren’s, adults and older person’s experiences of childhood in connection to health and well-being in the present and through the life-course, illuminating the inner child. The research strategy used was a secondary analysis of the original transcribed data from three Swedish studies investigating new questions. In total, 53 individuals aged 9–91, 20 school children, 20 adults and 13 older persons were interviewed about childhood experiences. The schoolchildren were invited to create a drawing, and to narrate about it during the interview. The main question in the secondary analysis was ‘How do the participants’ narrations about childhood experiences illuminate the inner child, useful for health promotion through the life-course?’ The findings showed the importance of a secure atmosphere and trusting relationships, indicating that experiences during childhood can help us to adapt and pass along life lessons across generations. There were narratives about play as an activity where they learned to promote a healthy childhood, struggle for independence and learning how to be responsible when growing up. Dimensions of mental, social and existential well-being can be seen as examples of the inner child’s role in health promotion through the life-course.

scholarly journals Marital Strain and Support and Subjective Well-Being in Later Life: Ascribing a Role to Early-Life Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 407-407
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks ◽  
Yingling Liu
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Marital Support ◽  
Lagged Dependent Variable ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Marital Strain

Abstract Decades of research have the beneficial effects of marital support and the detrimental consequences of marital strain on health and well-being. However, we know relatively less about how circumstances in childhood—a key developmental period of the life course—influence the relational structure in which later life is embedded and any implications this may hold for well-being. We integrate the life course perspective with the stress process model to offer a framework for how childhood conditions (childhood happiness, family structure, and financial strain) moderate the relationship between marital support/strain and subjective well-being in older adulthood in potentially different ways for men and women. The consequences of marital strain may be more severe and the benefits of marital support may not be as strongly felt for those adults who experienced greater adversity during childhood. Drawing on longitudinal data from Waves 2 (2010-2011) and 3 (2015-2016) of the NSHAP project (N = 1,376), results from lagged dependent variable models suggest that marital support buffers the effect of not living with both parents in childhood on subjective well-being for men. Meanwhile, women raised in families that experienced financial hardship reported lower subjective well-being in the context of marital strain in later life. No significant interaction effects were obtained for childhood happiness. Taken together, our findings suggest that adverse experiences in childhood can be scarring, particularly in the context of strained intimate relationships. However, a supportive marriage can, in some cases, offset the effects of childhood hardship on subjective well-being in later life.

Perceptions of the Adult Life Course: A Cross-cultural Analysis

1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Ikels ◽  
Jennie Keith ◽  
Jeanette Dickerson-Putman ◽  
Patricia Draper ◽  
Christine Fry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Variables ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Structural Variables ◽  
The Life Course

ABSTRACTA team of seven anthropologists conducted a coordinated, cross- cultural investigation to examine how structural and cultural variables shape the strategies people employ to assure themselves a secure old age. Central to the investigation was the goal of determining how people in the societies involved (Hong Kong, the United States, Ireland, and Botswana) perceive old age and its place in the adult life course, e.g. whether they view old age as an improvement or a decrement compared with other stages of life and the characteristics on which they base their views. The seven sites were selected to ensure broad representation in terms of the key structural variables of scale, complexity, subsistence pattern, residential mobility, and population structure. Both across and within sites people differed in their willingness and ability to discuss the concept of the life course. We attribute this variation to five factors: (i) characteristics of the social field, (2) education, (3) cultural salience of age categorisation, (4) predictability of life events, and (5) variability in timing of normative social or work roles.

scholarly journals Depression Over the Adult Life Course for African American Men

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne C. Watkins
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Quality Health Care ◽  
Quality Health

Rarely are within-group differences among African American men explored in the context of mental health and well-being. Though current conceptual and empirical studies on depression among African American men exists, these studies do not offer a framework that considers how this disorder manifests over the adult life course for African American men. The purpose of this article is to examine the use of an adult life course perspective in understanding the complexity of depression for African American men. The proposed framework underscores six social determinants of depression (socioeconomic status, stressors, racial and masculine identity, kinship and social support, self-esteem and mastery, and access to quality health care) to initiate dialogue about the risk and protective factors that initiate, prolong, and exacerbate depression for African American men. The framework presented here is meant to stimulate discussion about the social determinants that influence depression for African American men to and through adulthood. Implications for the utility and applicability of the framework for researchers and health professionals who work with African American men are discussed.

The Interplay Between Poly-Victimization and Sexual Assault in Late Life in the Context of Life Course Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110120
Author(s):  
Sagit Lev ◽  
Dovrat Harel ◽  
Hadass Goldblatt ◽  
Tova Band-Winterstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Marital Relationships ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
The Life Course

The aim of this article is to explore the interplay between poly-victimization and sexual assault against women in late life (SAWLL) according to the life-course perspective. Two themes emerged from qualitative interviews with 18 experienced welfare and health care professionals who intervened in cases of SAWLL: sexual assault by a spouse co-occurring with other types of abuse within marital relationships, and sexual assault and other types of abuse by two or more perpetrators along the life course. In many cases, SAWLL is an expression of a broader experience of poly-victimization, which relates to vulnerability in old age.

scholarly journals LIFE COURSE EXAMINATION OF GLOBAL AND DAILY PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACTS OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS IN MIDLIFE AND LATE ADULTHOOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S819-S819
Author(s):  
Jen D Wong ◽  
Jen D Wong ◽  
Yetty Shobo ◽  
Barbara T Hodgdon
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Psychosocial Impacts ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Family members often serve as informal caregivers for the first line of care. The complexity of family caregiving suggests the need to examine the personal and environmental resources that contribute to caregivers’ psychosocial well-being. Informed by the life course perspective, this study investigates the impacts of providing care to a family member on global and daily psychosocial well-being, and the moderating influences of age, gender, marital status, and social support. The sample consists of 1449 (M=55.99, SD=9.31) participants from Midlife in the United States (MIDUS-II: Main and Diary) survey. Regression and multilevel models results indicated greater global negative affect and daily stressors in caregivers as compared to non-caregivers. In line with the positive correlates of caregiving, caregivers reported greater daily positive events. Age, gender, and marital status significantly moderated the associations between caregiving and well-being. Findings showed that services aimed at family caregivers should take into account of personal resources.

scholarly journals Family Relationships and Well-Being

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A Thomas ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
Debra Umberson
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Important Influence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Family Structures ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Relationship Strain

Abstract Family relationships are enduring and consequential for well-being across the life course. We discuss several types of family relationships—marital, intergenerational, and sibling ties—that have an important influence on well-being. We highlight the quality of family relationships as well as diversity of family relationships in explaining their impact on well-being across the adult life course. We discuss directions for future research, such as better understanding the complexities of these relationships with greater attention to diverse family structures, unexpected benefits of relationship strain, and unique intersections of social statuses.

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