The socio-economic challenges caused by ageing populations, are encouraging many countries to re-evaluate the place of older people in society and to adopt measures to encourage active ageing. Brazil and the UK will have similar proportions of people aged 60 or over as a percentage of the total population by 2050. As a consequence of this, changes to retirement policies in the UK and Brazil, aim to make the welfare system more financially sustainable. It is therefore relevant to study the retirement patterns of occupational groups where their members hold specialised skills, knowledge and have the scope to remain active for longer. This study aims to compare the transition to retirement of academics and their experiences of professional continuity thereafter, in Brazil and the UK. A mixed methods approach combining an on-line survey and in-depth narrative interviews was used to address the research questions. The study found that among Brazilian and UK retired academics there was a desire for a continuity of professional identity, and most tended to experience some professional continuity following retirement. How the retirees engaged in academic activities varied among individuals; the amount of activities usually related to time in retirement, age and health status. It was noted that in the UK there was more scope for alternative retirement arrangements than in Brazil. Life satisfaction in retirement was associated with financial stability, enhanced freedom and the possibility to actively use academic skills and knowledge. The findings suggest that universities’ retirement policies should be made more transparent and, in some cases, reviewed. Additionally, retirees should be encouraged to prepare for retirement to facilitate their adjustment. It is suggested that future research should investigate the retirement of women in academia, the retirement policies of universities and the retirement of academics in other countries.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:721616 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Schifferle Rowson, Tatiana |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/3815/ |
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