Abstract
Men experience historical events, such as wars, at different times in their lives and are thereby influenced in different ways. Using data on a cohort of veterans from World War II, this study investigates the proposition that entry into the armed forces at a relatively early age maximized discontinuity and facilitated a redirection of the life course through psychological development, a delayed entry into family roles, and greater advancement opportunity. By comparison, later entry into the service favored greater risk of family and career disruption within a pattern of life continuity from adolescence to the middle years. Results from the analysis are consistent with these expectations.
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Elder, G.H. War mobilization and the life course: A cohort of World War II veterans. Sociol Forum 2, 449–472 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01106621
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01106621