Granny @ Work: Aging and New Technology on the Job in America

Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Dedication......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 7
CHAPTER 1 The New, New Deal: The Post-Retirement Era......Page 8
Aging and Work......Page 11
New Technologies......Page 15
Complicating Age......Page 16
Content of the Book......Page 23
CHAPTER 2 Lost Boomers in Space: Aging Workers and the Soft Digital Economy......Page 26
Job Seeking: The Major Net Theme for Over-50s......Page 28
Aging/Work Forums......Page 33
The Aging/Work Message Boards......Page 36
Monster......Page 37
MSN’s Aging Horizons......Page 43
AARP......Page 45
Aging/Jobs Community Themes......Page 46
Conclusion......Page 58
CHAPTER 3 An American (Techno) Legend: Women, Age, and the Harley-Davidson Workplace......Page 60
Chrome and Leather......Page 62
Talking with Women at Harley-Davidson......Page 65
Gendered Anxieties......Page 67
Home-work......Page 76
Seeing the World from Harley......Page 77
Biker Chicks: Proliferating Contradictions......Page 80
CHAPTER 4 “Granny, Go Ahead, You Won’t Tear It Up”: Central-City Elders Go Computing......Page 83
Intersections of Age, Race, Gender, Social Class—and Work......Page 84
Older Women at Work......Page 87
Ora-Lee: Taking Time for Herself in Retirement......Page 88
Jeanne: “On My Own and I Like It Fine”......Page 90
Agnes: Challenging Racism......Page 92
Betti: Sharing Her Blessings......Page 95
Eradean: Urgency for Marcus......Page 96
Intersections on the Superhighway......Page 97
CHAPTER 5 Use It or Lose It: The Self-Programmable Elder......Page 103
Self-Programmable Labor Perspective......Page 108
Generic Labor Perspective......Page 112
Advancing Society......Page 113
CHAPTER 6 Wizards, Space Cowboys, and (of course) Sean Connery: Film Images of Aging Workers......Page 116
Fairy Tales: The Crone, the Wizard, and the Magic of Technology......Page 118
The Child Becomes the Father......Page 129
Revisionist History......Page 140
Conclusion......Page 151
CHAPTER 7 Who You Callin’ Dude?: Magazine Advertisers Discover Older Workers......Page 154
Geeks and Grannies......Page 160
Geek Mystique: Tables Have Turned......Page 161
Pop Knows Better (Than to Ask a Geezer)......Page 163
Tool Time: Use It or Lose It......Page 164
Active Aging: Keep the Upper Hand......Page 165
Regulating Bodies through Advertising......Page 166
Aging Workers on a Continuum......Page 168
Leisure Workers and the Partnership of Marriage......Page 171
CHAPTER 8 How to Win Matures and Influence Boomers: Intergenerational Communication Through Self-Help......Page 175
Intergenerational Crossings in the High-Tech Establishment......Page 177
Managing Generations......Page 179
Gen X: The Future is Now......Page 188
Boomers: It’s All About Me......Page 190
Matures, Traditionalists, Silents—the Elders......Page 191
Our Aging World: Is the Sky Falling?......Page 194
Endnote: Gray is Beautiful......Page 195
CHAPTER 9 Driving with Dad: Intergenerational Journeys on the Superhighway......Page 202
Mentoring Relationships: New Directions......Page 212
Intergenerational Empathy at Work......Page 214
Technology Skills Acquisition for Enhanced Aging......Page 215
CHAPTER 10 The Digital Divide’s Gray Fault Line: Aging Workers, Technology, and Policy......Page 217
Policy Solutions......Page 223
Tailor Retirement Systems for Individual Differences......Page 224
Elder-Friendly Policies......Page 225
Make the Educational System Nondiscriminatory......Page 226
Governments Must Stop Discriminatory Practices Against Older Workers......Page 227
Images of Aging Workers: Representations Must Shift Toward Inclusiveness......Page 228
Stop Retrofitting Physical and Social Architecture to Shoehorn Disabled Citizens into a World for “Normals”......Page 229
New Ways of Envisioning “Learning Communities” Can Ensure Intergenerational Successes for the Work Arena......Page 230
Academics Must Stop Ignoring Age and Aging......Page 231
The New Age......Page 232
Notes......Page 234
Afterword......Page 252
Index......Page 254