Introduction

In this chapter, we focus on the development of intra-cohort and inter-cohort socioeconomic inequalities in an ageing society in a period of deep social change. Based on the Polish experience, we trace lifecourse patterns in times of system transition that change individuals’ aspirations, opportunities and behaviours, with an attempt to recognise the mechanisms that drive the ‘within’ and ‘between’ cohort inequalities observed today. The main goal is to analyse whether the mechanism of cumulative advantages and disadvantages (CAD) is an important factor in shaping diversity in societies of post-transitional countries, as it is in the more stable western countries.

In modern societies, diversity and socioeconomic inequalities are very often found to be greater in older cohorts than in younger cohorts (Morgan and Kunkel, 2007; Lynch and Brown, 2011). According to the theory of CAD, this situation results from the differentiation of lifecourses as people age (Dannefer, 1987; O’Rand, 1996; Ferraro et al, 2009). An initial socioeconomic advantage of an individual, expressed in possession or access to certain resources and capitals, is cumulative throughout the lifecourse and results in higher advantages in their later life. On the other hand, the disadvantaged position in the early stages of life will eventually result in a lower socioeconomic status, usually measured by education, income and occupation. Consequently, according to CAD, the intra-cohort inequalities should increase with time, as the cohort grows older. Regarding the ageing population, such an assumption has significant meaning as the life expectancy and the share of older age groups increase, as well as their impact and role in society. However, CAD assumes a stability of the mechanism which work for advantage or disadvantage of individuals over the lifecourse, which may not necessarily be the case during significant changes in societies.

The between-cohort inequalities are best explained by the lifecourse approach, as a combination of the effects of ageing, life stage and historical time (Elder, 1994). An individual's ageing entails biological and mental changes, while different life stages are associated with different opportunities and social expectations. Historical time, in which specific cohorts proceed through their particular life stages, sets similar conditions and experiences for a majority of individuals. People construct their lifecourses through choices and actions within the opportunities and constraints of history and social circumstances (Grenier, 2012).