Tobias Karlsson

In this final chapter, we revisit the two main questions raised in chapter 1. The first question concerned how to characterize the typical life cycle and identify typical markers associated with transitions between phases in life in Gothenburg in the first half of the twentieth century. Investigations of the transition from youth to adulthood and from mature age to retirement shows relatively prolonged transitions, which can be seen as remnants of older, pre-industrial or early industrial, patterns. Income growth over the individual life course was also relatively prolonged, which, however, is line with the late industrial life cycle. The second question concerned how transitions between phases in life were connected to mobility – in its various forms. A recurring finding in this anthology is the association between mobility – be it social mobility or labour mobility – and young age. Many men experienced upward social mobility as they went from a typical youth job to a regular job, whereas women more often entered gainful employment in a regular job, for example in paid domestic service. For both men and women, the transition from youth to adulthood often meant changing employer. Although women typically left gainful employment upon marriage or childbirth, industrial homework allowed occupational continuity for some although married women’s gainful employment is difficult to capture in ordinary population registers.