Productive aging: peer influence and retirement

ABSTRACT

Public awareness of demographic change is necessary to guide individual and national planning for retirement. For the first time in American history, older adults are forecast to soon outnumber children. Accordingly, expectations for retirement should be considered in a larger than personal context, a broad perspective that implicates relatives, the community, and government agencies. Shifts in attitudes and peer norms of retirees are explored that could enrich intergenerational relationships while contributing to learning, satisfaction, and sense of self-worth. The scope of adult education should include learning about strengthening families, productive aging, need for role reciprocity, importance of social interaction, and support for volunteerism. Participation in these opportunities can motivate greater maturity guided by a balanced schedule that reflects the time for self-interest activities and time to help younger generations attain their goals.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).