What Is Old Age? Differences in Views of Old Age Between Employees and the Self-Employed

Self-employment is a way for older adults to become active, achieve financial security and contribute to the economy. We explore the meaning of old age from the perspectives of employed and self-employed people. To examine the meaning of old age, 16 employed and self-employed Finns aged 50 and older were interviewed. The sample was stratified according to gender, employment relationship and company size. We employ the life course perspective to examine how choice of work over the life course influences how people think about old age. Employees and self-employed individuals have different perspectives and ways of defining the onset of old age, particularly in terms of the link between retirement and old age. This paper demonstrates that employees and the self-employed view the beginning of old age differently and have different life courses, showing the complex interplay between work and perception of old age.