As modern medicine extends the average life span and the baby boom
generation begins to approach middle age, the number of older
Americans is expected to more than double in the next century. But as
national trends toward early retirement and low birthrate continue,
an aging American population could face crises in meeting their
financial and physical needs. A Generation of Change is an
exceptional study of the demographic, social, and economic
characteristics of the older population as it is today and as it will
be in the coming years. Siegel employs census and survey data from
1950 through the mid-1980s to describe a population constantly
shifting in its ethnic and gender composition, geographic
distribution, marital and living arrangements, health, employment,
and economic status. Surprisingly, there is tremendous disparity in
the quality of life among the elderly. As the elderly progress from
"young old" to the "aged old" - those over 85 - sharp differences
emerge as income and employment decrease and degrees of chronic
illness increase. Although their average poverty rate is below that
of the general population, there are dramatic levels of poverty among
older women, who are far more likely than men to live alone or in
institutions. Siegel analyzes the full range of characteristics for
this heterogenous population and, through comparisons with other age
groups as well as with the elderly of previous decades, portrays the
crucial influence of social and economic conditions over the life
course on the quality of later life. With our elderly population
growing more numerous and long lived, accurate information about this
changing group is increasingly essential.
Notes:
"For the National Committee for Research on the 1980 Census."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 601-622) and indexes.
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