Work and the Family in Later Life: The Effects of Role Stressors, Role Enhancement, and Role Conflict on Self-Perceptions on Aging

Abstract

The growing aging workforce comprises older workers with a concurrent family role. Guided by life span development and role theories, the primary study hypothesis was that rewards and stressors in the family and work domains would impact self-perceptions on aging because of the enhancement and conflict between these domains. The study sample consisted of workers older than 50 years with at least one of four family roles (spouse, parent of adult children, caregiver to an aging parent, and grandparent) from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study ( N = 5,628). Results showed that self-perceptions on aging were impacted directly by family and work stressors and indirectly by these stressors through work-family enhancement and conflict . Work and family roles are thus crucial to the identity of adults in later life.

Factors associated with community commitment among older adults: a stratified analysis of community group leaders and members

“…One outstanding factor in this study was the relationship between role in the group and community commitment. Regarding roles, it has been reported that work and family roles are important to one's identity at older ages [ 58 ]. A previous study among older adults reported that taking on a leadership position in an organization can reduce the risk of dementia by approximately 20% in young-old people [ 59 ].…”

“…In this study, the CCS score was approximately 1.5 times higher for the total population and approximately 1.4 times higher for members who answered “yes” to perception of a role in the group. Whereas there are reports on the importance of a group role [ 58 , 59 ], there are others reports cautioning against making such roles too burdensome for participants [ 31 ]. Thus, to increase community commitment, apart from thinking of leaders as advanced resources for the community, it is important to appropriate their roles so that group participants can better recognize their own roles.…”

Factors Associated With Community Commitment Among Older Adults: a Stratified Analysis of Community Group Leaders and Members

“…One of the outstanding factors in this study was the relationship between role in the group and community commitment. Regarding roles, it has been reported that work and family roles are important to one's identity at older ages [57]. A previous study among older adults reported that taking on a leadership position in an organization can reduce the risk of dementia by approximately 20% in young-old people [58].…”

“…In this study, the CCS score was approximately 1.5 times higher for the total population and approximately 1.4 times higher for members who answered "yes" to perception of a role in the group. Whereas there are reports on the importance of a group role [57,58], there are others reports cautioning against making such roles too burdensome for participants [31]. Thus, to increase community commitment, apart from thinking of leaders as advanced resources for the community, it is important to appropriate their roles so that group participants can better recognize their own roles.…”

Does Transition to Retirement Promote Grandchild Care? Results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe

“…Based on the role strain theory, multiple social roles can be a source of a role conflict because one may not have enough resources, such as time, to fulfil responsibilities related to all of them (Goode, 1960). If older adults have demanding obligations, which exceed their reserves of strength and physical capacity, they are forced to choose in which social activity they will engage (Quach, 2020). Because, it could be challenging to combine roles as employees and grandchild caregivers, a role conflict may exist between these tasks.…”