A Life Course Perspective on Information Technology Work

Workforce Aging in the New Economy (WANE) is an international study of information technology workers in small- and medium-sized workplaces. The study was designed to explore life course issues, placing individuals in structural contexts that themselves change over time and addressing both life course management of the employees and how globalization and life course-related dimensions of the workforce jointly influence the management and survivability of small enterprises. Thus, the study links micro- and macroapproaches to understand life course issues. This article illustrates the approach with findings in two areas: how people make careers in changing work structures, and age and generational stratification issues. The article is dedicated to the memory of Chuck Longino, dear friend and colleague on the study research team, whose untimely death prevented him from seeing the project through to completion.