Don't Write Off Retirees: Older Americans Are
Pursuing Their Postponed Life Dreams
Senior citizens have time to engage in identity
work in a way not possible since adolescence
Feb. 23, 2009 Researchers dont find retirees
sitting on the porch in rocking chairs. Instead, the study reported
online in the Journal of Consumer Research, finds retirement can
be a time of personal growth and activity.
"Our research investigates retirement as a life
stage focused on consumption where outdated cultural scripts for
retirement are challenged," write authors Hope Jensen Schau (University
of Arizona), Mary C. Gilly (University of California, Irvine), and Mary
Wolfinbarger (California State University, Long Beach).
The researchers embarked on a research project to
explore the phenomena called "identity renaissance." They found that in
contrast to images of seniors in decline, many retirees are using their
time and money to pursue lifelong interests they had put aside in favor
of more immediate obligations prior to retirement.
Using in-depth interviews with retirees,
observation of senior centers and a rehabilitation center, and
monitoring online forums, the researchers revealed a culture of seniors
actively engaging in new projects and picking up old ones.
The study data reveals two categories of identity
work among retirees: self-expression and affiliation.
Self-expression tends to be more about
enhancing or developing the self, and can involve "self-retrieval," when
people take up past life projects that were deferred or continue with
life interests in the face of change such as illness or disability.
Other self-expression projects involve the concept
of "self-permanence," or creating a lasting legacy;
self-synchronization, which is an effort to align oneself with the
current state of culture and society, such as buying a computer and
learning to use the internet; or self-discovery, which entails creating
new projects, life goals, or memories.
Affiliation projects are more outward
focused and can involve moving closer to friends and family; increasing
a connection to a place, such as their homeland; or volunteering or
working to improve the world situation.
"Our research on retirement as a life transition
demonstrates that this later life stage need not focus on cognitive or
corporeal decline, but rather celebrate the vibrant identity projects of
retirees," write the authors.
"It is a time of significant renewal, when
individuals have time to engage in identity work in a way not possible
since their adolescence."
Information Source
Hope Jensen Schau, Mary C. Gilly, and Mary
Wolfinbarger. "Consumer Identity Renaissance: The Resurgence of Identity
Inspired Consumption in Retirement." Journal of Consumer Research:
Electronically published January 13, 2009.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Feb. 23, 2009 Researchers dont find retirees
sitting on the porch in rocking chairs. Instead, the study reported
online in the Journal of Consumer Research, finds retirement can
be a time of personal growth and activity.