Retirement as a Process of Active Role Transition

Abstract

Occupational retirement looms as a social fact for many workers in industrialized countries. And with the continuing development of public and private pension programs and increased longevity and health, the number of retired workers is constantly growing. As an aggregate, the occupationally retired will be an important political and economic force, and they also will represent a pool of considerable talent and expertise. But retirement is not only a societal phenomenon; it also is a significant personal event in the lives of workers. Up to the time of retirement, the work role is a central role in the lives of many people. Not only is it a means for obtaining a variety of rewards and gratifications, but it also structures day-to-day behavior, provides status and social interaction, and generally shapes the nature of the worker’s life style as a whole. Given these considerations, the transition from the work role to the retirement role—whether in fact or in anticipation—is likely to instigate a period of adaptation on the part of the retiree. But exactly how people make the transition from work to retirement is, as yet, a poorly understood process.