Women in Midlife and Beyond: The New Prime of Life?

Carrier Foundation At midlife, as women approach 40 and beyond, they are often forced to look ahead toward aging and to realize that youth is left behind. Today, most women will live into their mid-70s, and it is expected that more than half the current population, predominantly women, will live into their mid-80s. In 1900, the average life expectancy was 49 years. Women bearly lived long enough to see all their children leave home. Today, it is expected that women will live approximately 30 years after the last child has left home. Yet, as more and more women approach the second half of life, they fear growing older. Western culture has a long legacy of ageism, and negative stereotypes about growing old are reflected in art, literature, and the media, as well as in the psychological literature on aging. The message of our ageist culture suggests a double standard. Women are considered old at 40; men are still considered in their prime at middle age (Cohen, 1987; Sontag, 1980). Given the demographic realities and the ageist culture, too many women fear aging, being devalued and lonely in old age. Yet until this past decade, little attention has been paid either in the psychological literature or in feminist writings to the difficulties, as well as the positive challenges, that aging presents to women (Baruch & Brooks-Gunn, 1984; Block, Davidson, & Grambs, 1981; Fodor, 1990; Giele, 1982). This special issue of the Psychology of Women Quarterly addresses the nature of the challenges facing women in midlife and beyond. For today’s older woman, there is no guideline or even relevant lifespan developmental literature. This special issue is a piece of a growing body of work that is taking up the challenge to examine and sift out what is important for today’s woman. Hopefully, the current generation of midlife and older women will provide some framework for the coming generations.