Changing Role Patterns
Many persons "practice" for retirement by giving up work and starting again, and by trying out various life-style arrangements. Some people go for full disengagement from work while others prefer a more gradual approach. Some people find that taking a long trip right after formal retirement is one way of e::lsing out of old routines. Breaks in life-styles can give one new directions. Studies show that even women who have never worked outside of the home find part-time jobs in retail stores or similar places a satisfactory way to "make the break."
As they approach old age, most people restrict their social roles, reducing the number and variety of their contacts. Old friends are ost; new friends do not quite take their place. Said one successful eventy-year-old retiree: "I soon found that I had to come in balance with the new roles I had.to play, based mainly on a very low level of involvement." From many writings about the problems of retirement one central thought emerges: Formal disengagement' from work means abandoning life's central roles; this results in a reduced social life. For those with a past history of being able to adjust well, there is little or no crisis or loss of morale, following retirement. Role change in retirefllent relates to one's own personality, life experience, habits, health, and energy status. There is, after all an art of retirement.
Many persons "practice" for retirement by giving up work and starting again, and by trying out various life-style arrangements. Some people go for full disengagement from work while others prefer a more gradual approach. Some people find that taking a long trip right after formal retirement is one way of e::lsing out of old routines. Breaks in life-styles can give one new directions. Studies show that even women who have never worked outside of the home find part-time jobs in retail stores or similar places a satisfactory way to "make the break."
As they approach old age, most people restrict their social roles, reducing the number and variety of their contacts. Old friends are ost; new friends do not quite take their place. Said one successful eventy-year-old retiree: "I soon found that I had to come in balance with the new roles I had.to play, based mainly on a very low level of involvement." From many writings about the problems of retirement one central thought emerges: Formal disengagement' from work means abandoning life's central roles; this results in a reduced social life. For those with a past history of being able to adjust well, there is little or no crisis or loss of morale, following retirement. Role change in retirefllent relates to one's own personality, life experience, habits, health, and energy status. There is, after all an art of retirement.
