Decisions About Retirement

The goal of this discussion is to identify influences that impact retirement and that are relevant to cultural differences.

The concept of retirement differs with cultural expectations and personal expectations. Even among compatible partners, it can be hard to arrive at mutually agreed-upon decisions. Our individual expectations may have been conditioned by our personal upbringing, by past experiences, and by lifelong involvement in the workforce. For example, a group of people in a small, remote farming community who have lived in a collectivist type of environment might have different perceptions of a successful life experience than those in an urban environment. These differences lead to different preferences for retirement arrangements.

After listening to the interviews in this unit’s studies (also in the Resources of this discussion), discuss the concept of retirement from the perspectives of collectivism and individualism, addressing at least the following questions:

• How does one’s perspective on community or independent living evolve?
• What are the influences that affect decisions about retirement?

If you choose, you may use information from the articles and the optional Web sites in this unit’s study to support your response.