Gearhart, Faculty Advisor, Rebecca

Kaintz, \u2703, Lauren

Digital Commons @ Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan UniversityDigital Commons @ IWUJohn Wesley Powell Student ResearchConference 2002, 13th Annual JWP ConferenceApr 21st, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AMThe Graying of America: A Photo-Essay of OlderAmericans in the WorkforceLauren Kaintz, '03Illinois Wesleyan UniversityRebecca Gearhart, Faculty AdvisorIllinois Wesleyan UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/jwprcThis Event is brought to you for free and open access by The Ames Library, the Andrew W. Mellon Center for Curricular and FacultyDevelopment, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President. It has been accepted for inclusion in Digital Commons @ IWU bythe faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@iwu.edu.©Copyright is owned by the author of this document.Lauren Kaintz, '03 and Rebecca Gearhart, Faculty Advisor, "The Graying of America: A Photo-Essay of Older Americans inthe Workforce" (April 21, 2002). John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference. Paper 8.http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/jwprc/2002/posters2/8THE JOHN WESLEY POWELL STUDENT RESEARCH OONFERENCE " APRIL 2 0 0 2 Poster Presentation PC THE GRAYING OF AMERICA: A PHOTO·ESSA Y OF OLDER AMERICANS IN THE WORKFORCE Lauren Kaintz and Rebecca Gearhart* Department of Anthropology, Illinois Wesleyan University How old are you? As old as you look? As old as you act? When asked that question most people would answer by giving a number, their age in years. Growing old is a subject we all become more familiar with each day. Growing old in American society, as in any human society, is also a variable in a person's ability to sustain their self through his or her own form of work. Working through old age is significant to our society for which it is predicted that between 1996 and 2006. the percentage of 55-64 year oids will grow by 54%. With increased life expectancies of 73 years old for "men and 80 years old for women, dynamic changes are occurring in the age structure of the working population. Older Americans are becoming a more prevalent portion of the workforce with increasingly later retirement ages resulting in secure, longer lasting and more rewarding careers. Remaining employed later in life is a meaningful and healthy alternative to early retirement for citizens like Elmo Quinn and Jackie Ahlers who have the ability to "adapt their work capacity to fit their work environment based upon their individual needs. As a result, these older figures in the workforce provide a source of inspiration to all Americans and serve as role models to the workforce of tomorrow. 

The Graying of America: A Photo-Essay of Older Americans in the Workforce

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The Graying of America: A Photo-Essay of Older Americans in the Workforce

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