FIGURE IT OUT… The nature of work influences provident path to protect future living standard and economic autonomy in old age.

Marion ARNAUD, sociologist, analyses the relationship between different practices of individual protection during working life and forms of economic autonomy in old age. She shows how the corporatist nature of the French pension system directly influences these practices. On the basis of a qualitative survey of 45 retired people in a rural town in the south of France, she identifies three types of provident paths.
The socialized provident path concerns former civil servants and private employees. The French Labour Code provides for a high level of socialisation of protection and guarantees workers "to be protected" during their career. In this case, the experience of old age corresponds to a secure economic autonomy if the employment has been permanent throughout the career, but to an uncertain economic autonomy if the workers have experienced career interruptions and job insecurity.
The liberal provident path concerns the self-employed workers. Poorly covered by social security, this population has to "get protection" against future risks through savings and private investment. In rural and disadvantaged areas, protection practices correspond to total investment in work, the use of small and family property and resources of autochthony. For this group, the experience of old age is a social disqualification that corresponds to thwarted economic autonomy.
The familialist provident path concerns mothers and wives. In order to secure the future, they have to "protect" members of the household while investing in domestic work. The trajectories are characterised by lifelong economic dependence for women who have never been employed and they may correspond to an uncertain autonomy if they had to balance family and professional responsibilities in their careers.
The degree of socialisation of the protection practices provided by the pension system is a key factor in the unequal production of provident paths. These practices and their evolution need to be carefully monitored in order to properly tackle poverty in old age.