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Symposium

Social Research, Policy, and Practice

Voices From the Margins: Exploring Inequities in Work and Volunteering Among Older Adults

Saturday, November 16, 2024
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST
Location: Room 619
CE: 1.5

All people should have the right to choice and opportunity when it comes to engagement in paid and unpaid forms of work across the life course and particularly in later life. It is often through such roles/aspects of our identity that we derive a sense of meaning and purpose, which is critical to quality of life. We also know, however, that race, gender, birthplace, social and economic class, and additional layers of being “othered” impact the choices and opportunities available, as well as the extent to which positive (or negative) outcomes are derived. Research on paid and unpaid work in later life has not always captured the variety and complexity of lived experiences in later life. Further, statistics often obscure the most important information: how the most marginalized older workers are faring.

This symposium will explore some of these inequities in an effort to inform solutions. The first paper is a scoping review that assesses the extent to which volunteerism among economically marginalized older adults has been examined in studies. The second paper explores how older self-employed workers’ finances and health were impacted by COVID-19. The third paper considers gender disparities in wages among older workers in association with occupational sex segregation. The final paper examines the ethnoracial differences in formal and informal volunteering among individuals age 50 and older. A discussant will reflect on these studies and the need for continued research that considers intersectionality in opportunities and experiences for paid and unpaid work in later life.

Aging Workforce Interest Group Sponsored Symposium

Learning Objectives:

  • After attending this program, participants will be able to discuss why it is critical to apply an intersectional lens in research on paid and unpaid work in later life.
  • After attending this program, participants will be able to identify different strategies to sharpen the focus on racial, gender, income, and other social determinants of health among older workers and volunteers, and thus support health and well-being in later life.

Presentations:

  • 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST
    Documenting the Vulnerabilities of Self-Employed Older Adults: An Example From the Pandemic

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Cal Halvorsen, PhD, MSW (he/him/his) – Washington University in St. Louis

  • 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST
    Ethnoracial Differences in Formal and Informal Volunteerism Among Older Adults in the US: A Focus on Asian Americans

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Patrick Ho Lam Lai, LCSW, MSW (US), RSW (HK) (he/him/his) – Boston College

  • 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST
    Volunteering Among Economically Marginalized Older Adults in the US: A Scoping Review

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Byeongju Ryu, MSW (he/him/his) – Washington University in St. Louis

  • 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST
    Gender Disparities in Wages Among Older Workers: The Role of Occupational Segregation and Education

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Rebekah Carpenter, MS (she/her/hers) – Florida State University