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Linked Transitions in Later Life–Retiring as Transitional Assemblage in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Wazinski, Karla ; Wanka, Anna ; Kylén, Maya LU orcid and Schmidt, Steven LU orcid (2024) In Journal of Intergenerational Relationships
Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges expectations of retirement. In this paper, we ask: How is the retirement transition experienced in the everyday lives of older adults during pandemic as compared to pre-pandemic times? The paper draws on 15 semi-structured interviews with adults aged 60–75 years living in Germany within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which were analyzed based on social constructivist Grounded Theory and Situational Analysis. We identified four themes: (1) general retiring experiences; (2) changes in the everyday lives following the retirement transition; (3) changes in their social life and (4) subjective wellbeing. The findings suggest that both retirement and the COVID-19 pandemic entail significant changes... (More)

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges expectations of retirement. In this paper, we ask: How is the retirement transition experienced in the everyday lives of older adults during pandemic as compared to pre-pandemic times? The paper draws on 15 semi-structured interviews with adults aged 60–75 years living in Germany within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which were analyzed based on social constructivist Grounded Theory and Situational Analysis. We identified four themes: (1) general retiring experiences; (2) changes in the everyday lives following the retirement transition; (3) changes in their social life and (4) subjective wellbeing. The findings suggest that both retirement and the COVID-19 pandemic entail significant changes to older adults’ experience. Results show that experiences of both groups are similar but vary in degree. Adults retiring in pandemic times feel like missing out on the retirement life. We conclude by outlining a relational perspective on retirement research.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
COVID-19, linked lives, retirement, transitional assemblage, Transitions
in
Journal of Intergenerational Relationships
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85210580829
ISSN
1535-0770
DOI
10.1080/15350770.2024.2430012
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
id
8d877fbd-38a1-4f51-ad62-32422e1548ad
date added to LUP
2024-12-15 17:25:01
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:03:39
@article{8d877fbd-38a1-4f51-ad62-32422e1548ad,
  abstract     = {{<p>The COVID-19 pandemic challenges expectations of retirement. In this paper, we ask: How is the retirement transition experienced in the everyday lives of older adults during pandemic as compared to pre-pandemic times? The paper draws on 15 semi-structured interviews with adults aged 60–75 years living in Germany within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which were analyzed based on social constructivist Grounded Theory and Situational Analysis. We identified four themes: (1) general retiring experiences; (2) changes in the everyday lives following the retirement transition; (3) changes in their social life and (4) subjective wellbeing. The findings suggest that both retirement and the COVID-19 pandemic entail significant changes to older adults’ experience. Results show that experiences of both groups are similar but vary in degree. Adults retiring in pandemic times feel like missing out on the retirement life. We conclude by outlining a relational perspective on retirement research.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wazinski, Karla and Wanka, Anna and Kylén, Maya and Schmidt, Steven}},
  issn         = {{1535-0770}},
  keywords     = {{COVID-19; linked lives; retirement; transitional assemblage; Transitions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Journal of Intergenerational Relationships}},
  title        = {{Linked Transitions in Later Life–Retiring as Transitional Assemblage in the COVID-19 Pandemic}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2024.2430012}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/15350770.2024.2430012}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}