A structural model for examining retirement is presented in the context of a political economy of ageing. Contemporary capitalist economies may be conceived of in terms of macro-level organisation which results in a monopolistic core and competitive peripheral sectors. In turn this configuration serves to colour individual life-experience. Data on differential worker- and work-related characteristics are presented as a means of explicating the need for an alternative perspective to explain later life events. A proposed research agenda based on a consideration of both the status attainment and dual economic framework is put forward.

Hitherto, Western analysts of Soviet affairs have largely neglected Soviet persons beyond retirement age. These persons constitute a heterogeneous and expanding social category, and their lot has a number of dimensions. The present examination concentrates on their economic status and participation in social production, regarding both as an outcome of the Soviet régime's changing policies. It indicates a modest level of success in retaining the working involvement of retired people during the early post-retirement years. At the same time it uncovers many issues and situations which are familiar to gerontologists in Western countries.

Studies designed to evaluate the services of a health or welfare institution face the major difficulty of selecting evaluative criteria to serve as measures of successful performance. This paper explores that difficulty in the context of a study of a new psychogeriatric day hospital. The study and its methods of data collection are described. ‘Patient turnover’ features prominently as a measure of success within the hospital. Consultants, nurses, general practitioners, social workers, staff of a related hospital and patients’ relatives interpret this measure in different ways and adopt different strategies to pursue ‘success’ in their own interests. These differences are described. The paper concludes that a ‘pluralistic evaluation’ has several advantages as compared to other approaches.

In a survey of 1,400 older Americans over 65, two household structures, elders living with others and elders living alone, were compared with older married couples. Results indicated that elders living with others had a greater degree of incapacity and lower income than married couples, but on most indices there were few differences. Elders in three-generation families had somewhat lower general life satisfaction, but the greatest number of elderly people with low life satisfaction were widows who lived alone. Widows living alone were less likely than married couples to own their homes and more likely to perceive that their income was inadequate, that transportation needs were unmet and that no one would care for them in an emergency, all conditions strongly associated with low life satisfaction.