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Flexibleformsofemployment...
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fertolifeformulas,likeinheritingpoverty,attitudetowardsworkorpar-
ticularlifegoalsandvalues.Socio-professionalactivationofonepartyalso
influencestheotherone.
Therearetwomoretermstypicalformidlife:"emptynest”and"clut-
terednest”.Thelatterappearstobemorestressfulforparentsandiscur-
rentlyoftenencounteredinthelabourmarket.Inthetimesofeconomic
uncertaintyyoungpeopleleavetheirfamilyhomelaterandmanyofthem
returnafterthelossofwork,adivorceorsimilarunpleasantexperiences.
Anadditionalburdenforthemiddle-agedistakingcareofthedepend-
antageingparents.Theroleofaprimarycarerisoneofthemainroles
apartfrombeingagrandparent(Wolfsonetal.,1993).Takingcareofsome-
bodyhasdifferentimpactsonthecarer.Unfortunately,thereismoreand
moreevidencethatcarersincurmassivepsychologicalcoststheysuffer
fromdepression,theirsatisfactionofmarriedlifedecreases,etc.(Hoyert,
Seltzer,1992;Jutras,Lavoie,1995).
Professionalwork.Incredibleisthistimeofparadox.Ontheonehand,pro-
fessionalsatisfactionreachesthehighestlevelalthoughitisrathermarked
withstagnationthanwithachievementsorpromotions.Ontheotherhand,
thequalityofworkremainshighdespitetheslowingdownofphysical
andmentalprocessesdescribedabove.Manypeopleinmidlifesucceeded
inpreviousperiod,sotheirsatisfactionisreasonable.Whatisevenmore
importantfortheirpsychologicalcomfort,isthattheyeitheracceptedthe
thoughtthattheywouldnotachievemuchmore,ortheyaresatisfiedwith
theirposition,ortheychangetheirexpectationsconcerningwork(Tamir,
1982).
Thequalityofworkremainshighthroughoutthewholeperiodofadult
life,especiallyinthoseprofessions,whereahighlevelofcognitiveabili-
tiesisrequired(Salthouse,Maurer,1996).Theexceptionsaresuchoc-
cupationsasprofessionalsportsortruckdriving,whichrequirephysical
strengthandshortreactiontime.
TherearethreeprocessesspecifiedbyBaltes(1990),whichprovetobe
veryusefulinenablingpeopleinmidlifetoperformtasksathighquality
level:
selection:choosingorconcentratingonthemostimportanttasksandde-
legatingpartsoftaskstootherpeople;
optimisation:trainingofthemostusefulabilitiesinordertokeepthemat
theoptimallevel;
compensation:theusageofvariousmethods,systemsandformulatoover-
comedifficulties(e.g.wearingstrongerglasses,makingto-dolists,etc.).
Theprocessesspecifiedabovegiveanopportunitytointroducethebest
solutionstoalternativeformsofemploymentforprofessionallyactivepeo-
pleinmidlife.Themiddle-agedmakevariouspreparationsfortheirretire-
mentandoftenwithdrawfromprofessionallifeupto15yearsearlier,gradu-