4. APRENDIZAJES
4.4 APRENDIZAJES ABORDADOS DESDE LA PERSPECTIVA DE LA
generations, and indicated that, although the cultural environment had shifted to promote equality, the participants’ upbringing and past expectations had influenced their work experiences, as well as feelings of missed opportunities pertaining to work. In regards to older women workers, offering women the opportunity for meaningful employment and to be engaged in their employment decisions was identified as a contributing factor to meeting the overall health and wellbeing needs of the participants.
The advisory group members made reference to past experiences influencing their experiences as older workers, particularly in regards to work expectations and pressures to conform to socially constructed expectations regarding age and gender. As Bobbi explained, “I think who these women are really depends on many of the career choices they made when they were much younger and sometimes women may not have reached their full potential…” This perspective suggests the occupational choices previously available may have limited the potential of older women workers, but the options for work have also influenced the development of a work identity for women. The advisory group members discussed the limited and potentially interrupted employment histories of older women workers, perhaps due to choosing to stay home to raise children or other obligations outside of work, and the possibility that these decisions may influence the occupational choices or opportunities available to women today.
Another factor that was identified by the participants as limiting older women workers’ opportunities for employment was age-related inequality. In particular, Mary felt her age had put her at a disadvantage in her search for work. Mary had involuntarily been
obligated to search for full-time employment since turning 55 and she said, “when I lost the fourth opportunity to get a fulltime job, I said ‘I feel my age is a barrier.’” Mary described this experience as “a really rude awakening; I’m still somewhat battered about it,” suggesting that her difficulty in obtaining full-time employment as an older worker had affected her mental health and overall wellbeing as well. Mary’s experience
highlighted the perils of the older woman worker due to selective hiring processes and the disadvantages that she faced due to her age. Her experience resulted in Mary’s
acceptance of the reality of her situation as an older woman worker and the detrimental effect that her age had on her employability, particularly because the increased use of technology in her employment sector had resulted in drastic changes to the expectations of her potential employers. Mary felt she had lost the competitive advantage that her past experience and formal education had provided her with because she “wasn’t intuitive about this new thing [social media].” Nancy reiterated the idea that the increased use of technology had affected the culture of her work environment, however, Nancy’s
experience and reaction differed from Mary’s because, unlike Mary who’s employability relied on her extensive use of technology, Nancy’s decision to retire was based in part on
her lack of motivation to remain technologically up-to-date. For example, she identified “the extensive use of social media” as one of the reasons that she chose to retire because she “frankly didn’t want to spend the time on it.”
Beth took a gendered perspective as to why older women workers may struggle to find employment and/or garner respect in the work environment based on traditional perspectives of men’s expectations to be the breadwinner. She said, “I’ve heard older men say they’d have work if it wasn’t for the women… there’s always gonna be in someone’s mind a reason why they can’t get work… we have to teach our sons to be different.” Beth’s statement implies that gendered stereotypes continue to exist in the workplace and as an older woman worker she has tried to overcome such stereotypes. Her comment regarding educating future generations of men suggests a forward thinking attitude that, if adopted by members of society, could change the current social context and expectation of women’s work experiences, opening doors for future generations of career-minded women.
4.2.3.
Recognizing the importance of opportunities for education and skills
development throughout life
The importance of continued education for professional development within the context of work was highlighted by the advisory group members, who implied that taking
advantage of opportunities and being willing to learn new skills was crucial in remaining relevant within the current work environment, particularly with the increased use of technology in many employment sectors. Some of the participants indicated that maintaining skills and taking advantage of educational opportunities was crucial in promoting their employability and in successfully gaining employment in later life as explained by Bobbi, “if you maintain and invest in your health and your education and your overall wellbeing, that continues to support to as you age.” Bobbi’s statement also reflects the positive outcomes of the long-term investment in one’s health and education, suggesting that education and health and wellbeing are all connected.
The advisory group participants had varying experiences in regards to access to
graduate said, “I’ve taken education all the way along just because I was never afforded or had the opportunity to go to university.” Beth expressed motivation to continue educating herself because she felt continued educational opportunities added value to her employability, in spite of not having a university degree. For example, she said “I’m lucky, I’ve had lots of opportunities for education” further indicating the value that she placed on continuing her education.
Similar to Beth’s perspective that was based on her own experience, Bobbi emphasized the importance of continued education as well. Bobbi suggested that in order to empower women, women must take responsibility for their own professional development by asking themselves “what can I do to enhance [my] skills to make me marketable?” rather than focusing on the limitations of their current knowledge or on missed opportunities. An anecdotal example highlighting the importance of continued education came from Nancy who had taken 20 years off to raise children and then further educated herself before returning to work. Nancy indicated that she was surprised by the level of
recognition that she had received for being an older worker saying, “we have a lot of life experience and skills that our younger colleagues do not have… and somewhat to my surprise, I’m being recognized for that... but I think that there’s a mind shift that needs to change in our culture… that accumulated experience and skills are very valuable.” She identified one consequence of her experience because of her return to work after raising a family in that she ‘was kind of peaking in [her] skill level at the age where [she] should retire.” This comment suggests that the work trajectory of older women workers may be inconsistent with the traditional social-historical expectation of maintaining a long-term career. As higher education becomes more and more crucial for employment, women’s ability to find meaningful employment may continue to be affected, particularly for those who have inconsistent work histories. Further to this, Nancy also suggested that, although her experience was positive regarding recognition of her contribution as an older worker, she believed that not all older women workers would share her experience.