Older Women & Personal Agency: Staying in the Driver’s Seat of Life

Older Women & Personal Agency: Staying in the Driver’s Seat of Life

Do you feel like you are in the driver’s seat of your own life? With COVID-19, many of us may not feel like we are. These same feelings can happen to you as you age, but there are ways to help older adults get back to feeling like they are in the driver's seat of their own lives.

In this episode, we invited Cindy Cox- Roman, a market researcher, gerontologist, and the founder of WIT Consulting to talk about “personal agency”. Her professional experience made her aware of how marginalized older people are in society and when working on her Master’s degree in Gerontology, she became interested in the concept of “personal agency” - and particularly in older women.

Part One of Older Women and Personal Agency

But what is personal agency?

We understand that this is not a common term used every day, and some of you are a bit confused right now.

Personal agency is a term used in academics by sociologists. It refers to the idea of having a hand in the direction that your life takes. Most of us refer to it as having self-determination and being self-sufficient. It's synonymous with being in the driver seat of your own life. But what makes a person lose that sense of personal agency in the first place? How can we help people live the best moments of their older adult life?

Who are we referring to when we talk about “older women”?

When we say older women, we typically mean women who are 60 years old and older, but the term could be any woman who is 50 years old and older. Older women aren’t a homogenous group because each generation is different – and individuals within a generation are different depending on their life experience.

Women born before 1928 (Greatest Generation); born 1928-1945 (Silent Generation); born 1946-1964 (Baby Boomers); and born 1965-1980 (Generation X) will all have had very different life experiences that shape their sense of personal agency over a lifetime.

Part Two of Older Women and Personal Agency

Personal agency, even at an old age, is essential because, without it, we can't realize our dreams. Without personal agency, we don’t have feelings of self-efficiency, self-control, and self-confidence.

Ideally, you gain a sense of agency as a child. But you need to learn how to use your agency, practice it, and hold onto it until our last breath.

According to Cindy's independent research, this agency tends to peak when women and men are in their 50s. Specifically, for women, you will notice a steady decline after that age bracket.

The next question is, why?

There are several factors. We may experience health and financial issues. For example, if you fell broke your leg, and you can't get to the store or take care of your daily needs. If this happens to you in your 20’s, it doesn’t feel like the end of the world, you know you will get better. If you are in your 80’s, this broken leg can make you feel that you lost control of your life.

Financial issues, such as living on a fixed income, can hinder you from doing the things that you would like to do, such as traveling or visiting family and friends who live far away.

Age discrimination in the workplace is also a significant factor. It's harder to find a new job when you are in your 50s. In fact, 76% of adults aged 45 and older have reported their age as a problem in finding a new job; 50% of older workers report being prematurely pushed out of longtime jobs, and 90% report never earning as much again. Experiencing age discrimination around employment diminishes your sense of being in the driver's seat.

Watch the full video now!

About Melissa

[MelissaBPhD]

In this episode, we invited Cindy Cox- Roman, a market researcher, gerontologist, and the founder of WIT Consulting to talk about “personal agency”. Her professional experience made her aware of how marginalized older people are in society and when working on her Master’s degree in Gerontology, she became interested in the concept of “personal agency” - and particularly in older women.

[lizl]

This resonates - great interview. Thanks.