Community Social Involvement in Retirement: Regaining What You Lost

• In Event: 098 - Regular Session. ASA Opportunities in Retirement Network: Issues in Retirement

Abstract

To leave an academic post (teaching, research, administration) – to retire -- is to leave in later life a main, wider-community social involvement. Specifically, this is to leave a positive personal and social identity, locally recognized organizational space, source of livelihood, set of like-minded friends and colleagues, list of perks (e.g., health-care plan, professional expense funds), familiar rhythm of activities, and certain other desirable features of everyday living. All things considered it has been a good life. But retirement from this can lead to a lonely, unsettling existence, even with compatible spouse, family, and close friends near at hand. For they cannot offer the values just mentioned. They cannot foster the feeling of being part of the larger community, of being somebody in it. There are three ways to regain this loss, each accomplished in leisure time, discussed here as weak, moderately strong, and strong community social involvement. These levels of involvement are not zero-sum; many full retirees have sufficient time for participation at all three levels.

Author

• Robert Alan Stebbins, University of Calgary