Adjustment To Retirement In Rural New York State

Most social studies of older people in the United States have focused upon problems and conditions encountered in urban centers. In Older Rural Americans sixteen social scientists representing various regions examine in depth the circumstances of older people in rural America. The authors first consider older people in the contexts of work, the family, and the community, discussing their social outlook, their place in these contexts, and the profound changes they face as they move away from an active part in these areas of life. Later chapters analyze the distribution of the rural aged population and their economic, housing, and health status. Of particular interest are essays treating the place and condition of older rural people in three major subcultures of the United States -- the American Indian, the Spanish-speaking people of the Southwest, and African Americans. Finally, the authors trace the development of local, state, and federal programs designed to assist the aged. The authors argue that an understanding of rural life some sixty years ago is of the utmost importance, for it is the values of that time that have largely formed the attitudes and outlooks of today's rural aged.

Winner of the 1998 Paul A. Samuelson Award given by TIAA-CREF, The Evolution of Retirement is the first comprehensive economic history of retirement in America. With life expectancies steadily increasing, the retirement rate of men over age 64 has risen drastically. Dora L. Costa looks at factors underlying this increase and shows the dramatic implications of her findings for both the general public and the U.S. government. Using statistical, and demographic concepts, Costa sheds light on such important topics as rising incomes and retirement, work and disease, the job prospects of older workers, living arrangements of the elderly, the development of a retirement lifestyle, and pensions and politics. "[Costa's] major contribution is to show that, even without Social Security and Medicare, retirement would have expanded dramatically."—Robert J. Samuelson, New Republic "An important book on a topic which has become popular with historians and is of major significance to politicians and economists."—Margaret Walsh, Business History

That there is diversity in the work and retirement behaviors and at titudes of our small-town respondents is obvious. Thus, attempts to legislate broad solutions to problems of Social Security and other factors of most interest to older persons can be assured of having both supporters and detractors among the elderly in rural settings as well as among other age groups. Within the diversity observed, how ever, are some results requiring further attention. The relatively positive adjustment to not working of the retired men in the study bodes well for those expecting to leave the work force in the next few years. This positive adjustment mirrors that observed in several other recent studies, of course. Still, those not making positive adjustments must be considered; they will continue to require the attention of various support services so that attempts to solve their problems will be successful. Equally significant is the fact that no clear picture of the work and retirement orientation of these rural men emerged. On the one hand, they were remaining in the labor force slightly longer than men in urban 67 68 LATER LIFE TRANSITIONS samples and the job satisfaction and preferred retirement age for men still working had increased over the decade. On the other hand, the value placed on work had decreased, attitudes toward retirement had become more positive, and the men were more work than non work oriented.