Learning Objectives

Following the completion of this chapter, students will be able to:

1. Define and explain age-differentiated and age-integrated life structures.
2. Describe the characteristics of college and university students in the United States.
3. Discuss the trend to participate in lifelong learning and identify the goals of mature learners.
4. Describe the relationship between literacy and employment and the prevalence of illiteracy both nationally and globally.
5. List and describe four models of models/theories of vocational choice and career development.
6. Identify and describe changing occupational patterns as they pertain to gender and minorities.
7. Explain the relationship between age and job performance, including age stereotypes and attempts to prevent age discrimination.
8. Describe the characteristics and prevalence of occupational stress.
9. Identify the effects of unemployment on the individual and family members, and explain factors that improve one's ability to cope with job loss.
10. Identify and describe five hypotheses that explain the relationships between work, intellectual growth, and leisure activities.
11. Explain national and international trends in and attitudes toward retirement.
12. Compare and contrast the types of government-sponsored programs available to retirees.
13. Describe strategies that adults follow to plan for and make the transition to retirement.
14. List and describe three main categories of activities that occupy older adults after retirement.
15. Discuss the relationship between financial well-being, physical health, mental health, social support, and retirement by adults.
16. Define dependency ratio and explain how it will change over the next four decades.