The work patterns of women with some work experience over the 1976 to 1989 period were examined as they approach retirement, using data from the Mature Women's cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys. The data provided information on a sample of women who were between the ages of 30 and 45 in 1967 and who have been interviewed regularly since…

This article identifies typical life course situations that women experience, which contribute to a cycle of discrimination or a recurrence of disadvantages simply because of their sex, race, or age. Although men suffer social, health, psychological, and economic disadvantages as they age, this article focuses primarily on women as a more deprived…