Becoming an academic retiree: A longitudinal study of women academics’ transition to retirement experiences from a university in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

ABSTRACT Retirement is a complex, dynamic process. While the occupational transitions of early and mid-career academics have received attention, their late-career transitions are under-researched. This study explored the impact of the transition to retirement on the everyday lives and relationships of women academics from a university in the Republic of Ireland. A qualitative, longitudinal approach was used. Semi-structured, individual interviews were completed pre-retirement (n = 7), with follow-up interviews up to 1-year post-retirement (n = 6). Thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase process generated four themes illustrating the participants’ transition to retirement experiences: (i) maintaining connections with academia; (ii) gaining control over time; (iii) navigating occupational identity through the transition; and (iv) changing physical environments through the retirement transition. For the research active senior academics, continued involvement with and passion for researching was pivotal to providing continuity and meaning in their post-retirement routines. Those without active research profiles adapted to retirement by maintaining connections with colleagues, using university facilities, and participating in former leisure occupations. Relationships were continued and strengthened for all participants. The themes reveal that women academics undergo a continuous occupational adaptation process, negotiating their occupational identity through engagement with former meaningful roles and occupations. This study contributes to understandings of the occupational transition to retirement, highlighting the role of identity and choice in the occupational adaptation process of women academics.