Preferred Timing of Women's Life Events: A Canadian Study

Abstract

Since Neugarten, Moore, and Lowe, in a 1965 article, reported finding widespread consensus regarding the timing of major life events, the concept of normative social timetables has become incorporated into the life course perspective and into the general stock of gerontological knowledge. However, subsequent research has been rare. This study examines the degree of adherence to age norms and mean preferred ages for five life course events among a random sample of 1,583 women (cohorts born between 1905 and 1949) surveyed in two British Columbia cities. It is found that, using a non-forced choice format, proportionately more women provide “right ages” for family events than for non-family events. Preferred timing varies by level of education and by birth cohort; place of birth has no effect. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the salience of age norms in the Canadian context and in terms of future research directions.