Work, Leisure, and Retirement

Work, Leisure, and Work, Leisure, and RetirementRetirement

Traditional age-differentiated Traditional age-differentiated structurestructure

• Education – Work – LeisureEducation – Work – Leisure

• Now age-integratedNow age-integrated

• EducationEducation– Lifelong learningLifelong learning– Gain adaptive knowledge and skillsGain adaptive knowledge and skills

•Train for new occupationTrain for new occupation

•Understand technologyUnderstand technology

•Develop retirement, liesure roleDevelop retirement, liesure role

WorkWork

• CareersCareers

• Choice of VocationChoice of Vocation

• Influences?Influences?

• FamilyFamily

• Opportunities (SES, occupational Opportunities (SES, occupational status)status)

• Socialization (values)Socialization (values)

• Mother’s employment status (women)Mother’s employment status (women)

• Early work experiences (attitudes)Early work experiences (attitudes)

• University experiencesUniversity experiences

Interest/Work MatchInterest/Work Match

• Holland’s Person-Environment Fit Holland’s Person-Environment Fit ModelModel

• personality characteristics and personality characteristics and success in occupationsuccess in occupation

• moderate but significant relationshipmoderate but significant relationship

• stable throughout adulthoodstable throughout adulthood

• Contextual FactorsContextual Factors

• Marital/Family commitmentsMarital/Family commitments

• EconomyEconomy

Donald Super: Stages in career Donald Super: Stages in career planningplanning

• Crystallization: vague, generalCrystallization: vague, general– Early adolescenceEarly adolescence

• Specification: being focusSpecification: being focus– Late adolescence/universityLate adolescence/university

• Implementation: try outsImplementation: try outs– Young adultsYoung adults

• EstablishmentEstablishment

Super: stagesSuper: stages

• ConsolidationConsolidation

• MaintenanceMaintenance

• DecelerationDeceleration

• RetirementRetirement

Career DevelopmentCareer Development

Early CareerEarly Career• early professional socializationearly professional socialization• forming a “dream” (Daniel Levinson)forming a “dream” (Daniel Levinson)• goal expectationgoal expectation• career satisfaction (intrinsic, extrinsic career satisfaction (intrinsic, extrinsic

factors)factors)• reality shock and mentorshipreality shock and mentorship

– self ethic vs. work ethicself ethic vs. work ethic• focus on quality of own work (control)focus on quality of own work (control)• reduced loyalty, commitmentreduced loyalty, commitment

Middle CareerMiddle Career

settling downsettling down• taking stock of “dream”taking stock of “dream”• increased autonomyincreased autonomy• Spillover effects: Spillover effects:

– Multiple roles (enhancement, stress)Multiple roles (enhancement, stress)– positive, negativepositive, negative– job strain and stress (high demand, low job strain and stress (high demand, low

control)control)– decreased immune functiondecreased immune function– poor health habitspoor health habits– mental health (depression, anxiety)mental health (depression, anxiety)

Women and MinoritiesWomen and Minorities

• occupational segregation occupational segregation (service/clerical)(service/clerical)

• lower incomelower income

• dual career, dual earner couplesdual career, dual earner couples

• underrepresentation in underrepresentation in managerial/professional positionsmanagerial/professional positions

Late Career and RetirementLate Career and Retirement

• Normative life event in recent historyNormative life event in recent history

• Retirement in popular culture?Retirement in popular culture?– Valid images?Valid images?– Why?Why?

Decision to retireDecision to retire

• Adequate retirement benefits Adequate retirement benefits (financial security)(financial security)

• Leisure interestsLeisure interests

• Spouse retiringSpouse retiring

• Declining healthDeclining health

• Routine, boring jobRoutine, boring job

• Low work commitmentLow work commitment

Retirement: Modern Retirement: Modern PhenomenonPhenomenon

• 1900: 68% over 65 working1900: 68% over 65 working

• 1960: 30%1960: 30%

• 1985: 16% (1/2 = part time)1985: 16% (1/2 = part time)

Why the shift?Why the shift?

• Personal resourcesPersonal resources– Previous: work until death/disabilityPrevious: work until death/disability

•no safety netno safety net

• Retirement requires:Retirement requires:– Productive economyProductive economy– Public/private pensionPublic/private pension

• First government pension: Germany, First government pension: Germany, 18891889– Retirement age: 65Retirement age: 65– Lower life expectancyLower life expectancy

Canada Pension PlanCanada Pension Plan

• 1930s1930s• Response to growing unemployment Response to growing unemployment

and poverty among elderlyand poverty among elderly– Cheap labour (immigration)Cheap labour (immigration)– Displacement (technology)Displacement (technology)– Great DepressionGreat Depression– Age discriminationAge discrimination

• Pension Plans: employment incentivePension Plans: employment incentive

Retirement as a Life StageRetirement as a Life Stage

• Not povertyNot poverty

• Addresses problem of youth Addresses problem of youth unemploymentunemployment

• Leisure for elderlyLeisure for elderly

Impact of RetirementImpact of Retirement

• AdjustmentAdjustment• Atchley (1976): Stage ModelAtchley (1976): Stage Model

– HoneymoonHoneymoon– DisenchantmentDisenchantment– ReorientationReorientation– TerminationTermination

• Much individual differenceMuch individual difference• Bridge jobsBridge jobs

AdjustmentAdjustment

• Crisis TheoryCrisis Theory– Retirement correlates with loss ofRetirement correlates with loss of

•HealthHealth

•StatusStatus

•Self esteemSelf esteem

– But supporting research did not control But supporting research did not control for pre-retirement characteristicsfor pre-retirement characteristics

AdjustmentAdjustment

• Continuity TheoryContinuity Theory– Identity based on more than workIdentity based on more than work– Attitudes, activities changed minimally Attitudes, activities changed minimally

after retirementafter retirement

General Characteristics of General Characteristics of AdaptationAdaptation

• Individual variation in responsesIndividual variation in responses• Coping ability depends on previous coping Coping ability depends on previous coping

skills, perceptions (challenge vs. threat)skills, perceptions (challenge vs. threat)• Adaptation easier when:Adaptation easier when:

– Voluntary vs. forced retirement Voluntary vs. forced retirement – Change is minimized (bridge job)Change is minimized (bridge job)– Transition is gradualTransition is gradual

• Personal resources critical (income, health, Personal resources critical (income, health, social support, high occupation level)social support, high occupation level)

Busy EthicBusy Ethic

• Idealization and expectation of retired Idealization and expectation of retired lifelife– Retirement manages socially, morallyRetirement manages socially, morally

• Authority from Work EthicAuthority from Work Ethic– Therapeutic value of activityTherapeutic value of activity

• Encourages habit of engagementEncourages habit of engagement– Continuous with general cultural Continuous with general cultural

prescriptions for adulthoodprescriptions for adulthood– Legitimates leisure of retirementLegitimates leisure of retirement

Busy EthicBusy Ethic

– Defends retired people against Defends retired people against judgments of senescencejudgments of senescence

– Gives definition to retirement roleGives definition to retirement role– Helps individuals adapt to retirementHelps individuals adapt to retirement

– Adapts retirement to prevailing societal Adapts retirement to prevailing societal normsnorms