Alert Topics
Social Affairs
Age Groups Archive
RISING U.S. TEEN FERTILITY. Population Reference Bureau. Rogelio Saenz and Eugenia Conde. February 2009.
Full Text [HTML format with charts]
The United States has higher fertility rates among teenage girls
compared with other developed countries of the world. For example,
girls ages 15 to 19 have fertility rates more than five times higher
than their counterparts in developed countries such as France, Italy,
Japan, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT IN
AFRICA BRINGS UNCERTAINTY AND OPPORTUNITY. [Population Reference
Bureau]. February 2009.
Full Text [HTML format with charts]
From the recent riots in Greece to increased unemployment in urban
China to anxiety over the prospect of more protests by young people
throughout Europe, youth unemployment and underemployment is
increasingly recognized as a potential trigger for social instability
in other world regions. Africa in particular faces demographic
challenges as its population of young people ages 15 to 24 increases
and access to secure jobs continues to be problematic. In addition, the
global financial crisis threatens to further strain labor markets and
exacerbate a tenuous situation for Africa’s youth.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]
HEALTH, UNITED STATES, 2008 WITH SPECIAL
FEATURE ON THE HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS. National Center for Health
Statistics. Web posted February 18, 2009.
Full Report [PDF format, 604 pages]
Charts & Tables Only [HTML format with links]
Young adults in the United States aged 18-29 face a number of health
challenges, including increases in obesity, high injury rates, and lack
of insurance coverage compared to older adults, according to the latest
report. It includes a compilation of health data from a number of
sources within the federal government and in the private sector. It
also features a special section on adults aged 18 to 29, a group making
many life choices including decisions about education, marriage,
childbearing, and health behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol use,
which will affect both their future economic and health status.
DO TEENAGERS RESPOND TO HIV RISK INFORMATION?
EVIDENCE FROM A FIELD EXPERIMENT IN KENYA. Working Paper, National
Bureau of Economic Research. Pacaline Dupas. February 2009.
Full Text [PDF format, 40 pages]
A randomized experiment was used to test whether information can change
sexual behavior among teenagers in Kenya. Self-reported sexual behavior
data suggests substitution away from older and riskier partners and
towards protected sex with same-age partners. In contrast, the national
abstinence-only HIV education curriculum had no impact on teen
pregnancy. These results suggest that teenagers are responsive to risk
information but their sexual behavior is more elastic on the intensive
than on the extensive margin, reports the study.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]
A YEAR-END LOOK AT THE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN’S IMPACT ON MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER AMERICANS. American Association of Retired Persons. S. Kathi Brown. January 2009.
Full Text [PDF format, 34 pages]
Throughout 2008, the economy was battered by falling housing prices and increasing foreclosure rates, record stock market losses, rising unemployment, and weak consumer spending. An overwhelming majority of Americans ages 45+ believe that the economy is in bad shape. As a result of the economic downturn, the majority say that they cut back on entertainment spending (68%) and eating out (64%) during 2008. Additionally, 52 percent had more difficulty paying for essential items such as food, gas, and medicine in 2008, and 44 percent found it more difficult to pay for utilities.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]
BACCALAUREATE EDUCATION AND THE EMPLOYMENT DECISION: SELF EMPLOYMENT AND THE CLASS OF 1993. U.S. Small Business Administration. Chad Moutray. Web posted October 27, 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 37 pages]
The study shows that the self-employed closely resemble the larger population in many ways. Unlike others who pursue wage-and-salary occupations in the not-for-profit or government sectors, students in the class of 1993 who were self-employed in 2003 were less likely to have earned or be currently enrolled in graduate education. Graduates with social science and “other” majors were more likely to be self-employed. In addition, those individuals who chose self-employment had shorter job tenures than others, such as those who now work for government or the military.
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Bush, Jason THE NEW PUTIN GENERATION (Business Week, No. 4074, March 10, 2008, p. 26)
Full text [HTML format]
Despite the authoritarianism of the current regime in the Kremlin, Russian young people are enthusiastic supporters of Vladimir Putin and the current Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. The author notes that the young generation, which has come of age in an era of growing prosperity and stability, see Putin and Medvedev as “guarantors of their bright economic prospects.” However, there is an almost cultlike worship of Putin within some groups in the growing pro-Kremlin youth movement.
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Hahn, Jeffrey; Logvinenko, Igor GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN RUSSIAN ATTITUDES TOWARD DEMOCRACY AND THE ECONOMY (Europe-Asia Studies, vol. 60, no. 8, October 2008, pp. 1345-1369)
Full text [PDF format]
In a study of the attitudes and beliefs of those Russians who came of age after the fall of the Soviet Union versus the earlier generation that grew up during the Soviet period, Hahn notes that, not surprisingly, the younger generation is generally more supportive of democratic institutions and a free-market economy. However, the younger generation is much more in favor of economic than political reforms, indicating that they are more interested in getting ahead economically than in participating in political life.
Retirement Vulnerability of New Retirees: The Likelihood of Outliving Their Assets. [Ernst & Young, LLP. & Americans for Secure Retirement]. July 2008.
Full text [PDF format, 26 pages]
Almost three out of five new middle-class retirees will outlive their financial assets if they attempt to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living, according to the study. It also finds that middle-income Americans entering retirement now will have to reduce their standard of living by an average of 24 percent to minimize the likelihood of outliving their financial assets. Those Americans seven years out from retirement are even less prepared and the study estimates that they will have to reduce their standard of living by even more, an average of 37 percent. [Note: contains copyrighted material]
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END-OF-LIFE CARE: INTO THE SUNSET (Economist, July 31, 2008)
Full text [HTML format]
The hospice movement is dedicated to caring for, rather than trying to cure, the terminally ill. This idea of limiting care to physical and emotional pain relief for people with identifiably fatal diseases is widely accepted. But now questions are arising about the appropriate way to deal with elderly people who will never be well, but have no idea when they will die. A common gripe about American nursing homes is that their residents are still all too likely to be rushed off to hospital as they begin to die. Some reasons for this are legal, but all too often nursing home staff do not share “the live-and-let-die convictions of the hospice movement.” What is needed, the author says, is honest, extensive discussions on palliative care for the elderly -– both among health care workers as well as with the general public.
UNDERAGE ALOCOHOL USE: WHERE DO YOUNG PEOPLE DRINK? National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Web posted September 4, 2008.
Full Text: [HTML format, various paging]
A majority (53.4 percent) of current alcohol users aged 12 to 20 drank at someone else’s home the last time they used alcohol, and another 30.3 percent drank in their own home.
The percentage of underage alcohol users who had their most recent drink in a car or other vehicle peaked at 10.1 percent at age 16 (12.8 percent of females and 7.3 percent of males).
THE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN’S IMPACT ON MIDDLED-AGED AND OLDER AMERICANS.
American Association of Retired Persons. Jeffrey Love. May 2008.
Full Text [pdf format, 34 pages]
The study findings show that 81percent of respondents say the economy is in fairly bad or very bad condition and 75 percent feel the economy is getting worse. Over one-fourth of respondents said they are having trouble paying their mortgage or rent and one-third have stopped putting money into their retirement accounts. More than one-fourth of all workers 45+ have postponed plans to retire. As the economy slows and prices rise, most middle-aged and older respondents report that they are having difficulty paying for food, gas, utilities, and medicine, and are responding to the situation by cutting luxuries and postponing major purchases and travel.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]
MORE OLDER AMERICANS ARE POOR THAN THE OFFICIAL MEASURE SUGGESTS.
Urban Institute. Barbara A. Butrica and Sheila R. Zedlewski. Web posted May 18, 2008.
Full Text [pdf format, 2 pages]
The number of poor adults age 65 and older has declined dramatically since the official poverty rate was designed back in the 1960s. Today the federal government considers fewer than 1 in 10 older adults to be poor, compared with about 1 in 3 in the 1960s. These estimates show the share of people with insufficient income to meet basic living expenses, such as food and housing. However, substantial research shows that the official poverty measure no longer reflects the true resources or needs of older adults. The lack of an accurate poverty measure for older adults hampers efforts to reform Medicare and Social Security, which face significant revenue shortfalls. To target any cuts or increased costs to older adults with the greatest ability to pay, an accurate measure of economic well-being is critical.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]
FRAMEWORKS OF INTEGRATED CARE FOR THE ELDERLY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
Canadian Policy Research Networks. Margaret MacAdam. Web posted May 6, 2008.
Full Text [pdf format, 35 pages]
MacAdam examines articles and papers that study comprehensive models of integrated or coordinated care. She identifies four frameworks with common interventions that must be structured to support each other; these key elements are: umbrella organizational structures to guide integration of strategic, managerial and service delivery levels, multidisciplinary case management for effective evaluation and planning of client needs, organized provider networks and financial incentives to promote prevention, rehabilitation and the downward substitution of services, as well as to enable service integration and efficiency.
[Note: contains copyrighted material.]
THE GRAYING OF THE GREAT POWERS: DEMOGRAPHY AND GEOPOLITICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
Center for Strategic and International Studies. Richard Jackson, et. al. Web posted April 3, 2008.
Full Text [pdf format, 15 pages]
This report explores the geopolitical implications of “global aging,” the dramatic demographic transformation in population age and growth rates resulting from falling fertility and rising longevity worldwide. In particular, it addresses how population aging and population decline in the developed world may constrain the ability of the United States and its traditional allies to maintain national and global security.
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
DISCONNECTED YOUTH: FEDERAL ACTION COULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACED BY LOCAL PROGRAMS THAT RECONNECT YOUTH TO EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT.
Government Accountability Office, GAO-08-313, Report to HR Committee on Education and Labor. Web posted March 31, 2008.
Full Text [pdf format, 64 pages]
While most young people successfully transition to adulthood, a significant number of youth are disconnected from school and employment. These youth are more likely than others to engage in crime, become incarcerated, and rely on public systems of support. Several federal agencies oversee a number of programs and grants that assist local programs in serving this population at the local level. This GAO study evaluates 39 such programs and suggests improvements.
THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN: 2008.
Program Division and Strategic Information Section, Division of Policy and Planning, UNICEF, United Nations. Web posted January 22, 2008.
Full Text [pdf format, 164 pages]
This report is a statistical survey of health care, infant mortality, and other health-related programs such as malaria prevention and immunization programs all designed to provide overall evaluations of the health of children worldwide. It notes some recent successes but calls for continued UN and national funding of community-based health services.
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
PROGRESS FOR CHILDREN: A WORLD FIT FOR CHILDREN: STATISTICAL REVIEW.
UNICEF, United Nations. December 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 72 pages]
This report considers how well the world is meeting its commitments to the world’s children. The report analyzes progress made toward the Millennium Development Goals in four areas: promoting healthy lives; providing a quality education; combating HIV and AIDS; and protecting against abuse, exploitation, and violence.
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
HIGHLY VULNERABLE CHILDREN: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND ACTIONS: FIRST ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS, AUGUST 2007.
Special Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State. Web posted October 12, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 74 pages]
It is estimated that there are 143 million children in the world who have lost one or both parents. In 2005, the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act was signed into law. This Act requires the U.S. Government to devise a single, comprehensive strategy for these children. This report describes the efforts made during the past 18 months.
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Roberts, David A VAN WITH A PLAN (Grist, March 20, 2007)
Full Text [html format]
A rising public figure on the national scene, Van Jones is an African-American civil-rights lawyer and founder and director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California, an innovative non-profit group that made a name for itself in working to prevent youth violence and incarceration. Two years ago, it launched a program that puts it on the front edge of progressive activism: an initiative that would ensure that low-income and minority youth are included in the coming wave of “green-collar” jobs, such as solar-panel and wind-turbine installation, refitting existing houses for energy conservation, wastewater reclamation, and organic gardening. He notes that past periods of economic growth in the U.S., notably the Internet boom, did not include the poor. This time, converting America to a low-carbon economy will involve “a lot of people doing a lot of work”, which cannot be outsourced abroad, and it is imperative that youth from disadvantaged communities be put at the forefront for this effort.
CHILD AND YOUTH WELL-BEING INDEX (CWI) PROJECT: 2007 SPECIAL FOCUS REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS.
Kenneth C. Land, Project Coordinator. Foundation for Child Development. Web posted July 17, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 17 pages]
This report compares U.S. trends in child and youth well-being with four other English-speaking countries—Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. The data are based on 19 international indicators and the findings are:
- The U.S. has a lower percent of households without an employed adult;
- The other four countries have better health systems;
- Teen birth rate is lower in the other four countries;
- The U.S. has a higher proportion of high school and baccalaureate graduates but lower rate of preschoolers; and
- 15-year old American students scored lower on standardized tests in math and reading.
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF CHILDREN.
Harry Anthony Patrinos. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, World Bank. June 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 20 pages]
“This paper summarizes the socioeconomic conditions of children around the world. It explores solutions to the main problems, along with a summary of the costs and benefits of some of the solutions. Emphasis is on the results from rigorous studies, impact evaluations and randomized experiments. Although the cost-evidence literature is scarce, a good case for early interventions and key quality-enhancing education interventions exists.”
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
CHILDREN AND THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: ANNUAL REPORT 2006.
UNICEF, United Nations. June 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 52 pages]
This paper presents the highlights of UNICEF’s achievements in 2006. UNICEF expanded and strengthened its partnerships, provided sustenance and basic health care to children and mothers, and worked with sports clubs and leagues to promote education and to fight AIDS.
The report states that progress toward ending poverty can be measured by monitoring the status of children. Each year more than 10 million children under the age of five die, and two-thirds of these deaths are preventable. At the present rate, the world will not meet the Millennium Development Goals.
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
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Gawande, Atul THE WAY WE AGE NOW (New Yorker, April 30, 2007)
Full Text
“Why we age is the subject of vigorous debate.” So writes Atul Gawande in this insightful look at the science and health care of aging today. One leading researcher believes “that human beings fail like all complex systems fail: randomly and gradually.” And like complicated machinery, human beings are built with backup systems and intentional redundancies. But over time the backup systems fail too, and, as a leading geriatrician puts it, “we just fall apart.” The article outlines how longevity in the United States has increased rapidly over the past decades, but argues that “Americans haven’t come to grips with the new demography.” The medical profession, focused on curing a given disease or using a new technology, doesn’t know how to help old people stay healthy and continue to lead independent lives. An elderly person’s greatest health risk might not be a given medical problem such as cancer or back pain, but simply falling down and breaking a hip. The article concludes with a new strategy called Guided Care that teaches nurses to recognize health issues to the elderly that include depression, malnutrition, isolation, and the danger of falling, and how to help families plan ways to prevent or remedy these simple but life-threatening risks of aging.
DRIVER POPULATION.
U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO). Web posted April 11, 2007.
Report [pdf format, 60 pages]
Older adults are the fastest-growing population in the U.S. As the adult population ages, older driver safety issues have also grown. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has recommended practices that could make it easier for older drivers to navigate roadways; e.g., using larger print on road signs. The General Accountability Office (GAO) examined these practices and recommended that the FHWA “implement a mechanism to allow states to share information on older driver safety practices.”
ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH.
Andrew R. Sommers. Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress. April 2, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 6 pages]
Use of alcohol by a person under age 21 is a major public health problem. Studies have shown that minors who drink alcohol are more likely to commit suicide, break the law, or be victims of crime. The cost of underage drinking is estimated at $62 billion annually.
Most laws dealing with underage drinking are at the state level; however, recently there has been legislative activity on the federal level. This report describes this legislation and its policy implications.
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Martin, James THE SEVENTEEN GREAT CHALLENGES OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY (Futurist, vol. 41, no. 1, January/February 2007, pp. 20-24)
Full Text (ProQuest: password required)
The author, with Oxford University, believes that the present time is the best time in all of history to be a young person, because “now, more than at any other time, young people will make a spectacular difference” in the future of humankind. Martin writes that the world is facing unprecedented global environmental and political crises -– and the thinking of the political and economic ruling elite is dominated by short-term benefits instead of solving long-term problems –- and it will be up to today’s young people “to get humanity through the coming instability as quickly and safely as possible”. He enumerates seventeen challenges, “all interlinked and mutually reinforcing ... that constitute the twenty-first-century transition”, including eradication of poverty, steadying population growth, sustainable lifestyles, protecting the biosphere, preventing all-out war, conquering disease and expanding human potential.
THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2007: WOMEN AND CHILDREN: THE DOUBLE DIVIDEND OF GENDER EQUALITY.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Web posted December 11, 2006.
Full Text [pdf format, 160 pages]
This report covering the lives of women around the world, states that since gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand. When women are empowered, children prosper. Similarly, when women are denied equal opportunity, children suffer.
“Gender equality is not only morally right—it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development.” It provides a positive impact to nutrition, health care, and education of children. Without gender equality, it is impossible to create a world of equity, tolerance and shared responsibility.
Gender discrimination remains pervasive in every region of the world. Cultural traditions perpetuate social exclusion and discrimination. Eliminating gender discrimination will benefit three areas—the household, the workplace and the political sphere.
“This report intends to provide a road map to accelerate progress towards gender equality and empowering women through education, financing, legislation, legislative quotas, engaging men and boys, women empowering women and improved research and data.”
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN 2007.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2006
Press Release [html format]
Executive Summary [pdf format, 44 pages]
Full Report [pdf format, 160 pages]
"Despite progress in women’s status in recent decades, the lives of millions of girls and women are overshadowed by discrimination, disempowerment and poverty. Girls and women are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and women in most places earn less than men for equal work. Millions of women throughout the world are subject to physical and sexual violence, with little recourse to justice. As a result of discrimination, girls are less likely to attend school; nearly one out of every five girls who enroll in primary school in developing countries does not complete a primary education. Education levels among women, says the report, correlate with improved outcomes for child survival and development." -- from the Press Release
[Note: contains copyrighted material.]
ENGAGING YOUTH TO BUILD SAFER COMMUNITIES.
Frederick Barton, Karin von Hippel and Steve Seigel.
Center for Strategic & International Studies; CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project. August 2006.
Download the document [pdf format, 49 pages]
A turbulent environment often permeates a post-conflict situation, characterized by instability and periodic episodes of violence. This report argues that youth, instead of being part of the problem in these situations, can be extremely useful in rebuilding post-conflict stability and reconstruction.
The authors argue that international donor and relief organizations have overlooked the enormous potential of young people, and provide suggestions for wider inclusion: "From taking part in bicycle and foot patrols, neighborhood watches, and early warning systems, to providing crime reduction education, prevention strategies, and escort and first-responder services, youth have the capacity to contribute to safety and security when official mechanisms for protecting local communities are absent, ineffective or in need of extra support. While not all youth are suited to participate in safety-building initiatives, many could help consolidate peace and reduce violence."
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
GROWING UP IN NORTH AMERICA: CHILD WELL-BEING IN CANADA, THE UNITED STATES, AND MEXICO.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Canadian Council on Social Development, and Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México. May 2006.
Download the document [pdf format, 56 pages]
There are approximately 120 million children in North America -- 73 million in the United States, more than 39 million in Mexico, and about 7 million in Canada. They account for over one-quarter of the 426 million people who live on the continent. Increasingly, the future of all of North America's children is linked with each other through economic and social experiences.
This report, published by the "Children in North America Project," examines the opportunities and challenges that North America's children face in an era of globalization. The report presents a basic demographic profile of children in the region and looks at three different dimensions of child well-being - health and safety, economic security, and capacity and citizenship.
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Achenbaum, W. Andrew WHAT IS RETIREMENT FOR? (Wilson Quarterly, vol. 30, no. 2, Spring 2006, pp. 50-56)
View article on publisher's web site
The author reviews the history of aging, retirement and financial security in the United States and puts the retirement of today's Baby Boomer generation in context. People are living and staying healthier longer and are making up an-ever increasing proportion of the population. "Now more than ever," he says, "we need to form a clearer collective conception of what retirement out to be." It is his expectation that the workforce will be more flexible and allow older employees to work part time or on a project-to-project basis. Many Boomers, he predicts, will become volunteers as their parents have done. This article is one of a series of this publication's essays that deal with "The Sovereign State of Retirement," the title of this Spring's edition.
ENJOYING THE GOLDEN WORK YEARS
Butrica, Barbara; Schaner, Simone G; Zedlewski, Sheila R, Urban Institute, May 23, 2006
Download the document [pdf format, 6 pages]
The job characteristics and attitudes of adult workers age 65 and older reveal a group enjoying work and not anxious to leave the labor market. The fact that many of these workers are self-employed and working part time at jobs with relatively limited physical demands may help to explain their satisfaction with work. Older workers in all wealth groups share these positive attitudes about work. The results suggest work situations pleasing to older adults that could be emulated by other employers and encouraged by public policies with the ultimate goal of increasing health and financial well being of older Americans.
THE STATE OF 50+ AMERICA 2006
Laurel Beedon, Lisa Southworth, John Gist, AARP (American Association of Retired People) Public Policy Institute, January 2006
Summary
Full report [pdf format, 56 pages]
"Individuals are being required to take more responsibility for their own retirement, traditional pensions are in decline even as overall coverage inches up, retiree health benefits are being reduced or eliminated, the stock market is stagnant and, although they were turned back in 2005, threats to partially privatize Social Security are likely to resurface. As a result, the future remains uncertain." — from the summary
THE WORLD'S YOUTH: 2006 DATA SHEET
Population Reference Bureau, February 2006
Summary
Full report [pdf format, 20 pages]
"While girls and boys are enrolling in secondary school in greater numbers than ever before and early marriage is on the decline, many young people across the world still face daunting threats to their well-being....many of these young people are at great risk for health problems ranging from sexually transmitted infections to complications from smoking." — from the summary
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN 2006: EXCLUDED AND INVISIBLE.
United Nations Children's Fund. December 2005.
Download the document [pdf format, 156 pages]
In her foreword, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman writes that in the past, this annual report on the world's children has focused on specific issues such as HIV/AIDS, girls' education, nutrition, child labor, and early childhood development. The 2006 report "highlights the millions of children who have not been the beneficiaries of past gains, the ones who are excluded or 'invisible'."
The report assesses global efforts to realize the Millennium Development Goals, and demonstrates the marked impact that their achievement would have on children's lives and future generations. It also explains that given the MDGs' emphasis on national averages, children in marginalized communities risk missing out on essential services such as health care, education and protection. It argues that children denied their right to a formal identity, suffering child protection abuses, or facing early marriage, armed combat, and hazardous labor, are among those most at risk of exclusion from the Millennium agenda. The report recommends ways to include these children in this agenda.
[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
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Zeitz, Joshua BOOMER CENTURY (American Heritage, vol.56, no. 5, October 2005, pp. 32-49)
View article on publisher's website
In this examination of the "Baby Boom" generation, Zeitz asks, "What's going to happen when the most prosperous, best-educated generation in history finally grows up? (And just how special are the baby boomers?)." He discusses the trends that caused the explosion of births between 1946 and 1964, describes the societal forces that shaped this group rooted in time instead of place or race, and explores both the contradictory and unifying aspects of the generation that continues to define "the limits and promise of American life." Sidebars look at the baby boomers' cars, toys, and movies; feature a photo gallery of famous boomers; include a defense of the generation by novelist Benjamin Cheever; and provide a bibliography.
OLDER ADULTS' ENGAGEMENT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AND ENCOURAGED
Sheila R. Zedlewski, Simone G. Schaner. Urban Institute. Web posted: July 28, 2005
Summary [html format]
Full report [pdf format, 6 pages]
Adults over the age of 55 engage with society in a number of ways. This brief examines the types and intensity of this engagement.
YOUTH INDICATORS 2005: TRENDS IN THE WELL-BEING OF AMERICAN YOUTH [NCES 2005-050]
Mary Ann Fox, Brooke A. Connolly, Thomas D. Snyder. U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. July 2005.
Press release [html format]
Full report [pdf format, 138 pages]
This is the fifth in a series of reports containing statistics which describe the circumstances of young people's lives both in school and beyond the schoolhouse. The age group covered is 14-24 years.
The report presents a selection of indicators that provide a broad perspective on youth, under the following headings: Demographics, School-Related Characteristics, Employment-Related Characteristics, Activities Outside of School and Work, and Health.
OLD-AGE INCOME SUPPORT IN THE 21ST CENTURY: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON PENSION SYSTEMS AND REFORM.
Robert Holzmann, Richard Hinz, and others. World Bank. Web-posted May 24, 2005.
Full Report [pdf format, 228 pages]
Executive Summary [pdf format, 20 pages]
This World Bank report says that growing demographic and economic pressures are forcing both developing and developed countries to undertake urgent pension reform. According to the report, more women in the global workforce, changing employment patterns in the global economy, rising budget deficits, and rising numbers of elderly are making the case for pension reform unavoidable. The authors underline the continued relevance of the main objectives of pension systems -- poverty alleviation and consumption smoothing -- and of the broader goal of social protection.
The authors recommend a "multi-pillar" pension system that is composed of some combination of five basic elements: (a) a noncontributory or "zero pillar" (in the form of a periodic transfer payment to each resident; also known as a "demogrant" or social pension) that provides a minimal level of protection; (b) a "first-pillar" contributory system that is linked to varying degrees to earnings and seeks to replace some portion of income; (c) a mandatory "second pillar" that is essentially an individual savings account but can be constructed in a variety of ways; (d) voluntary "third-pillar" arrangements that can take many forms (individual, employer sponsored, defined benefit, defined contribution) but are essentially flexible and discretionary in nature; and (e) informal intrafamily or intergenerational sources of both financial and nonfinancial support to the elderly, including access to health care and housing.
Note: Contains copyrighted material.