Multiple social groups support adjustment to retirement across cultures

Abstract

RationaleResearch has demonstrated the positive effects that social identification with multiple groups has on people's health and well-being, in part during the transition from work to retirement. However, these effects have not been examined outside Western retirement contexts. This study addresses this gap. ObjectiveThis investigation aims to examine the contribution that group membership and identification with multiple social groups makes to supporting retirees’ physical health and well-being across cultures. MethodResponses from a representative sample of 10,513 retired individuals from 51 countries drawn from the World Values Survey were used in this analysis. This research focused on the number of group memberships, identification with multiple groups, subjective health, and well-being that respondents reported. ResultsAnalysis showed that belonging to multiple groups positively predicted retirees’ health and well-being in both Western and non-Western cultural contexts. In line with cross-cultural research, there was evidence that country-level collectivism moderated the strength of this association, with the effect being weaker in collectivistic (vs. individualistic) countries. ConclusionFindings confirm the utility of using the social identity approach to understand people's adjustment to retirement across cultures.