Encore Adulthood

Phyllis Moen

Boomers have unprecedented Levels of education, health, and life expectancy, but confront uncertain futures in the face of a competitive economy and disappearing safety nets. Many seek new paths during the "encore" years-the time between family- and career-building and old age. In Encore Adulthood, Phyllis Moen uses in-depth interviews with Boomer women and men as well as trends in census data to chronicle the risks and opportunities of this evolving life-course phase. While some Boomers improvise purposeful ways of working and living, others experience the costs of cumulative inequality. Moen argues for a range of flexible career, schooling, and retirement pathways that better fit life in the twenty-first century.