scholarly journals The Third Age and the Baby Boomers

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Gilleard ◽  
Paul Higgs

This paper outlines two contrasting positions in interpreting contemporary change in later life. These are summarily represented by a cohort approach that focuses upon the baby boomers and a generational approach that focuses upon the third age. We argue that understanding the role of the sixties’ cultural revolution for the emergence of the third age offers a broader conceptual understanding of the transformation of later life than that provided by the more restrictive and restricting framework of a baby boom cohort. That many people, particularly in the USA, self identify with the term ’baby boomer’ reflects not so much the power of cohorts as structuring influences on the ’conscience collective’ as the role of the market and the media in shaping their social identities.

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antti Karisto

This paper examines the lives of baby boomers in Finland, and is based on several studies previously published in Finnish. The article considers the particular characteristics of this group of baby boomers. It then discusses whether the baby boom cohorts can also be called a generation. Following this, the life course of the boomer generation is contrasted with various images that have appeared in the media and elsewhere about their lives. Boomers have been presented as a radical’ or ’selfish’ generation. This article proposes two new themes: boomers as a crossroads generation and boomers as a bridging generation. The paper also considers the emergence of the third age as approached from a generational perspective. The third age has been defined as a generational field underpinned by agency and consumption, with its roots in the youth culture of the post-war decades. This characterization is also highly relevant to the Finnish case, but needs to be elaborated by taking into account socio-historical knowledge of the distinctive life course of the boomer generation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Twigg

The article explores the role of women’s magazines in the negotiation of later life identities, focussing on the treatment of fashion and dress. It locates the analysis in debates about the changing nature of later years with the emergence of Third Age identities, and the role of consumption in these. Focussed on the treatment of fashion and age, it analyses four UK magazines: three chosen to represent the older market ( Woman & Home, Saga, Yours), and one to represent mainstream fashion ( Vogue). It is based on interviews with four editors and analysis of the content of the magazines. The article analyses the media strategies that journalists use to negotiate tensions in the presentation of fashion for this group and their role in supporting new formations of age. This article forms part of ‘Media and the Ageing Body’ Special Issue.


2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 39-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin M. Sabo

Purpose This study aims to examine library programming for active older (“third age”) adults and give suggestions for future improvements. In addition to covering research specific to library programming for these adults, which is limited, this review will also survey the literature on lifelong learning for this population. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes a literature review on library programming geared specifically to active, older adults and a survey of literature on lifelong learning for the “third agers”. Findings Demographics show that older adults are a growing population, not only in the USA, but worldwide. Many baby boomers have already entered or soon will be entering the “third age”. Most libraries are not providing specific programming to support these older lifelong learners. In the USA, baby boomers have the highest net worth of any generation, and as such, are an important fundraising source. Research indicates that older adults participate in lifelong learning activities and will attend library programs of interest. Topics of interest include hobbies/leisure pursuits, humanities, social/international issues, religion/philosophy, arts, technology and nutrition/health/stress management. Practical implications Libraries are missing a prime opportunity to expand services, develop library advocates and fundraise by ignoring the growing population of active older adults. Suggestions are given for how both public and academic libraries can take advantage of these opportunities. Social implications Older adults are a rapidly growing population. Providing library programming for this group benefits both older adults and libraries. Originality/value There are no known previous comprehensive literature reviews on library programming for older adults. Offering specific programming to this population has benefits for older adults, libraries and their communities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Pier Cesare Rivoltella
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
Darko Dimovski

Hate crimes have existed throughout human history. Although in recent decades many countries have criminalized this form of violent crime in their legislation, few countries pay special attention to prevention measures aimed at countering hate crimes. In this paper, the author will present the hate crime prevention programs launched in the countries that have advanced most in the creation and implementation of such prevention measures. The first two parts of the paper are dedicated to the analysis of special hate crime prevention programs focusing on the perpetrator, while the third part presents the programs focusing on the potential victims. The last part of the paper discusses the role of the media as the bearers of hate crime prevention programs.


Categories of the academic revolutions and innovations in a perspective of educational policy at the higher school are considered. Special attention is paid to the development of innovations in training at the foreign and Ukrainian universities, since X1X of a century up to now. It is noted that agricultural, industrial, global, demographic and other revolutions created basis for the academic revolutions which resulted from transformations of society and caused innovations in higher education systems. The contribution of the academic revolutions in strengthening of role of the universities in society is confirmed. The major innovations in training stimulated university teaching throughout all academic revolutionary periods (after 1867, 1945, 1983) in developed industrial and developing countries, such as the USA, some states of the European Union and Ukraine. Emergence of innovations in policy of teaching at the universities during the first academic revolution, their modification during the second one, and new turns in transformation of innovations during the third academic revolution is investigated. Introduction of innovations in teaching differed in intensity and scale during the academic revolutions. On examples of teaching it is shown how political and ideological processes in society influenced functioning of the universities. An attempt to compare educational processes during three revolutions and to reveal the most innovational period was made. It is proved that innovations in training were implanted in three academic revolutions, the third one turned out to be the most innovative. The major innovations in policy of teaching were connected with the development of scientific and technical knowledge that contributed to the emergence of the information society. The developed countries offered the introduction of policy of cooperation in the higher education that made impact on innovations in university education. The Coronavirus pandemic of 2019/20 demonstrated the need to use various forms of Internet communications (Zoom, Google Classroom, Moodle, Whereby, etc.) to switch to new opportunities to teach students in higher education institutions around the world at the beginning of the XXI century.


Author(s):  
Woosang Hwang ◽  
Xiaoyan Zhang ◽  
Maria T. Brown ◽  
Sara A. Vasilenko ◽  
Merril Silverstein

We used classification analysis to examine change in religiosity among baby boomers from young adulthood to early old age and how religiosity transition patterns are associated with psychological well-being in later life. In addition, we tested the gender difference in the above association. We applied latent class and latent transition analysis to 392 baby boomers who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Generations in Wave-1 (1971) and Wave-9 (2016). We identified three classes describing religiosity at each wave (strongly religious, doctrinally religious, and weakly religious), and considered five types of change or stability in religious class membership from Wave-1 to Wave-9. Multiple regression with gender interactions revealed that men who stayed strongly religious over the period reported better psychological well-being compared to men who declined in their religiosity; no such pattern was found for women. Our findings suggest that maintaining strong religiosity over the life course was beneficial for baby boom men in later life.


2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 643-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Timmer ◽  
Marja Aartsen

In the present study we examined the associations between beliefs of mastery and 2 important kinds of productive activities in the third age: participation in education, and volunteering. Within the broad concept of mastery beliefs, differential aspects of self-regulatory cognitions were studied, that is, self-esteem, control beliefs, effort to complete behavior, persistence in the face of adversity, and willingness to initiate behavior. Effects of these aspects on carrying out activities were investigated and controlled for the impact of some situational and demographic factors. Findings suggest that a general sense of mastery, as reflected in self-esteem and control beliefs, is not a precondition for study and volunteering work in the third age. However, special components of self-efficacy turned out to play a part. Willingness to initiate behavior emerged as a strong predictor for taking on educational activities, as was persistence in the face of adversity for being active as a volunteer. In the discussion possibilities were looked at fpr how better to match productive activities in later life to personal dispositions.


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