Downward Mobility in Old Age

This paper deals with the consequences of downward mobility among the aged. Based on a sample of 256 aged public assistance recipients, the study compares the ex-Middle Class poor to those from Working Class origins. For the most part, the data support the contention that downward mobility in old age is associated with social isolation and low morale. The data do not indicate a corresponding relationship with alienation or anomia, however. On the contrary, it is the aged poor from Middle Class backgrounds who adhere most faithfully to a belief in the equity and propriety of the larger social system.