| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology |
| Editors | G. Ritzer , C. Rojek |
| Place of Publication | Hoboken, NJ |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Apr 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Retirement broadly refers to older workers' withdrawal from paid working life. Given the demographic development of population aging and its associated societal challenges, the transition from work into retirement is receiving much attention nowadays, both in policy debates and in the scientific literature. This entry provides a brief description of the scientific literature about retirement and discusses topics that are central in sociological retirement research, such as the role of (1) life histories, (2) social stratification, (3) spousal context, and (4) organizational and country context for understanding retirement transitions. Directions for future research are described as well.