Does Work Make the Man: Masculine Identity and Work Identity during the Transition to Retirement.

摘要

The study examines differences in masculine identity and work identity in a cross-section of men at various stages of the transition to retirement. Masculine identity and work identity refer to how closely one identifies with male sex-role expectations and with one's job, career and company, respectively. The subjects of the study are 50 retirees and 26 workers from one large company which promotes voluntary retirement decisions. These subjects represent success in meeting societal expectations for men because they are all mid-level managers with social, marital and financial stability. Workers fall into three groups of readiness to retire: those with no retirement date set, those who intend to retire in one to three years and those who intend to retire within a year. Retirees fall into two groups: those who have retired within the last year and those who have been retired from two to six years.