Waiting on Retirement: Aging and Economic Insecurity in Low-Wage Work (Studies in Social Inequality)

Gatta, Mary

ISBN 10: 1503607402 / ISBN 13: 9781503607408

Published by Stanford University Press (edition 1), 2018

About this Item

It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.

Seller Inventory # 1503607402-11-1

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Waiting on Retirement: Aging and Economic Insecurity in Low-Wage Work (Studies in Social Inequality)
• Publisher: Stanford University Press (edition 1)
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1503607402
• ISBN 13: 9781503607408
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1.
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

America is witnessing a retirement crisis. As the labor market shifts to the gig economy and new strains restrict social security, the American Dream of secure retirement becomes further out of reach for up to half of the population. In Waiting on Retirement, Mary Gatta takes the case of restaurant workers to examine the experiences of low-wage workers who are middle-aged, aging, and past retirement age. She deftly explores the many factors shaping what it means to grow old in economic insecurity as her subjects face race- and gender-based inequities, health hazards associated with their work, and the bitter reality that the older they get the fewer professional opportunities are available to them. More importantly, Gatta demonstrates that these problems are pervasive, as more industries adopt the worst workplace practices of service work. In light of these trends, we must consider the devastating effects on already vulnerable Americans because, as Gatta contends, this crisis does not need to be inevitable. Taking as a model the small percentage of "good" restaurant jobs that exist, she ultimately offers incisive commentary on what can be done to stave off this bleak future.

About the Author

Mary Gatta is Associate Professor of Sociology at the City University of New York: Stella and Charles Guttman Community College.