Encore Adulthood: Boomers on the Edge of Risk, Renewal, and Purpose
2016; Oxford University Press; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1093/sf/sow091
ISSN1534-7605
Autores Tópico(s)Aging and Gerontology Research
ResumoNo one needs to be reminded that there is a lot of remodeling being done to the traditional home of life course theory. This fine old four-bedroom house served the life course family well for several decades. Childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age were quite comfortable within its walls. The first remodel came when scholars recognized that Millennials needed somewhere else to sleep for a few years. They enlarged the home and added a fifth bedroom called “emerging adulthood” between adolescence and adulthood. Now it appears that the Baby Boomers also need their own life course living space for 20 or so “bonus” years. In this book, Phyllis Moen is enthusiastically drawing up ambitious plans for a large bonus room called “encore adulthood” to be built between adulthood and old age. Throughout the book, Moen makes the point that increasing lifespans and improved health have created for Baby Boomers about 20 bonus years of relatively active life between traditional retirement age and when the effects of old age really set in. This time of life, which she calls “encore adulthood,” is a veritable treasure trove of possibilities that could benefit the individual, the family, the community, and the world as a whole. I like this thought a lot! I am a Baby Boomer approaching traditional retirement age, and I am still full of energy and wisdom and wanting to continue to contribute for many years to come (although I would like a little less intensity). This book helps me and my fellow Baby Boomers. It provides a sense of hope that we can craft a couple of decades of encore adulthood in which to pursue life's mature passions. Like the encore after a beautiful musical performance, encore adulthood can be an energetic time of renewing contribution.
Referência(s)