This article addresses the international community's differing attitudes on mandatory retirement. The authors explored various factors, such as sociodemographics and political ideology and the latter's predictive value for attitudes on compulsory retirement. Education proved the strongest sociodemographic predictor. Most Americans opposed mandated…

This brief suggests that Universities of the Third Age (U3As) provide learning opportunities for older adults. Worldwide, they typically take one of two forms. Based on the first U3A founded in 1973, the French model is university based and offers mostly formal courses. Arising in Cambridge in 1981, the British model emphasizes informal,…

Statistics reveal that 61% of older Canadian women who are unattached to a male partner live in poverty. Two primary factors why women are especially vulnerable to poverty are their financially dependent status and their inequality in the work force. Even women who have worked outside the home are more vulnerable to poverty in old age than their…

A task force from a high technology company recently conducted a nine-month study to determine the attitudes of older workers toward work, management, technological change, and productivity. Data were gathered from personnel files; an age audit was undertaken, and 4,000 employees were randomly interviewed. The workers were asked to offer opinions…

This manual is designed to encourage older people to take an active role in local television program production and to design and produce programs that will enhance the quality of life for other older Americans. It is noted that locally produced television offers older people a voice at the local level, the opportunity for making new friends and…

In reaction to the economic risks associated with an over reliance on oil and gas exports, residents of the Midland/Odessa area of Texas began seeking diversification options for the local economy and, in 1986, formed the Midland/Odessa Health and Retirement Endeavor (MOHRE). This non-profit corporation was formed to examine the feasibility of…

This document is the first volume of a two-volume Senate report describing actions taken during 1986 by the Congress, the administration, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging which are significant to older Americans. It summarizes and analyzes federal policies and programs that are of continuing importance for older persons and their…

An amended form of the Older American's Status and Needs Assessment Questionnaire assessed the prevalence of adjustment, as measured by the Bradburn Affect Scale, in a random stratified sample of 301 female and 140 male elderly rural residents in Allegany County, New York. The relationship between adjustment and biosocial, demographic, social, and…

A study examined the long-term effects of participation in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) on participants from 20 RSVP projects nationwide. Three rounds of interviews were conducted. In Round 1, 750 volunteers were interviewed: 595 veteran volunteers and 155 new volunteers. In Round 2, 792 volunteers were intereviewed: 175 new…

This document contains eight papers presented at the 1981 White House Conference on Aging. Each paper begins with a statement of a Congressional finding relevant to the topic under consideration, followed by a presentation and discussion of important issues related to each topic. The first paper, "Research on the Aging Process," explores…

Demographic data suggest that alcohol abuse among the elderly will increase in proportion to the population growth of that group. Four factors which may cause the elderly to be a highly susceptible group for alcohol problems are: (1) retirement and its boredom, role changes, and financial problems; (2) increased concern with death and losses of…

This first volume of three of the final report of the 1981 White House Conference on Aging contains the response to the congressional charge to the Conference that the final report propose a national policy on aging not only for the minority who need aid but also for the majority of older adults who live in comfort and security. The report is…

This curriculum guide was developed for use in Edison State Community College's (ESCC's) Community Pre-Retirement Training Program. The first of the guide's seven modules provides a brief look at retirement, retirement planning, and the ESCC program. The second module focuses on relationships, considering issues such as communication, finances,…

Some research suggests the existence of differences in characteristics between older adults who are continuing to earn money through employment and those who have retired from gainful employment. Data on a national random sample of men and women (N=1000) between 68 and 73 years of age were examined to contrast the characteristics of employed and…

The persistence of the nuclear family as the primary social unit in the United States and most all other societies, especially complex ones, is a fact. Values shape the definition of family, especially the "good family," and the "great debate" of this period on family failure, family corruption and the family's near demise originates in…