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Title: Emergent Careers: American Women's Pension Coverage at Midlife
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Farkas, Janice I.
Emergent Careers: American Women's Pension Coverage at Midlife
Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University, 1994. DAI, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 56,2, (August 1995): 712-A
Cohort(s): Mature Women, Young Women
Publisher: UMI - University Microfilms, Bell and Howell Information and Learning
Keyword(s): Career Patterns; Demography; Gerontology; Infants; Life Course; Marriage; Pensions; Retirement/Retirement Planning; Women

Current research has examined the retirement process and satisfaction of older women, but has not linked research with women's planning for their old age security while currently at midlife, ages 35 to 54. This research compared two ten-year birth cohorts of women at midlife using two data sets from the National Longitudinal Surveys to examine how past and current events and the decision that construct the life course trajectory of middle-aged women influence participation in employer sponsored pension plans at midlife. The study also considered which familial and demographic circumstances affected participation in pension plans. The research concludes that the majority of the 1928 to 1937 birth cohort of women followed a normative life course trajectory of ending school, starting first job, marriage, followed by first birth. Following a non-normative life course trajectory was negatively correlated with pension coverage for women in the 1928 to 1937 birth cohort. Women in the 1944 to 1954 birth cohort were less apt to follow the normative life course when compared to the prior cohorts. Following a non-normative life course trajectory did not have the negative consequences for pension coverage found for the 1928 to 1937 birth cohort. Time spent with a young child in the household impacted the two birth cohorts' pension coverage differentially. Duration with a toddler in the household negatively affected the 1944 to 1954 birth cohort women's pension coverage. The positive role of ERISA legislation is observed for the 1944 to 1954 birth cohort's pension coverage when examining firm size and current employment status, but the significance of continuous employment history has increased for the 1944 to 1954 birth cohort. The research concludes that the negative consequences of following a non-normative life course for women has decreased when considering pension coverage. UMI, Ann Arbor, MI. Order No. DA9518742
Bibliography Citation
Farkas, Janice I. Emergent Careers: American Women's Pension Coverage at Midlife. Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University, 1994. DAI, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 56,2, (August 1995): 712-A.