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While sociologists have been interested in the stratification process at ages when members of a cohort experience many changes, attention has been focused most on the beginnings of the socioeconomic career. Though many changes also occur later in life, relatively little attention has been given to them. In this paper, the effect of aging on the relation of status variables to income is analyzed through a comparison of status attainment models for a cohort before and after most of its members have retired. Data for the earlier period are from the 1962 OCG survey and, for the later period, are from the combined 1973, 1974 and 1975 NORC General Social Survey. The analysis shows little change in the pattern of effects. Within the restricted age range, age has trivial effects. Respondent's education, occupation and marital status have direct effects on income. Overall, the analysis suggests a great deal of continuity in the determinants of income. Despite the potentially disruptive effects of changes at this age, the relation of status variables to income remains almost untouched in old age.
Henretta et al. (Wed,) studied this question.