Life Course Trajectories of Aging Men: Disadvantage and Discontinuity On the Margins of Families and Work

The broad long-term objective of this proposal is to examine diverse processes and contexts in disadvantaged men’s transitions to old age.   Many older men are challenged by making ends meet, avoiding dangers in urban neighborhoods, attaining physical and mental health in toxic environments, or losing sources of support.   This research will suggest how discontinuities in work and family involvement shape pathways to aging for older disadvantaged men.   The specific goals are (1) to document men’s transitions and trajectories of family involvement and work participation (particularly military deployment) over time; (2) to explore how aging men interpret involvement with their families (e.g., as biological or social fathers/ grandfathers, or partners in multiple families); and (3) to assess how contextual factors, such as local structural opportunities and constraints, social policies, and kin expectations, shape men’s work and family trajectories over time.  A qualitative research design will be used, including semi-structured interviews and a life history calendar grid to gather information on transitions in work and family life.