TY - JOUR
AU - Gettings, Patricia, E
AB - Abstract Baby boomers are facing a retirement experience that differs from that of previous generations of Americans due to a variety of factors such as longer life expectancies, changing employer–employee relationships, and economic downturns. Given these shifting dynamics, boomers are likely to look to media portrayals of retirement and retirees—that is, to societal discourse—as one source of guidance. Although discourses do not specifically prescribe how individuals will act as retirees, they do provide messages that shape and constrain possibilities. This study draws upon thematic analysis of 100 articles from four high-circulation American publications (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and AARP The Magazine/Bulletin) to identify three broad themes (each with sub-themes) in popular discursive representations of retirement: (a) financing retirement, (b) charting a “new” retirement course, and (c) staying active in retirement. Ultimately, results provide insight into dominant ideas about the “ideal” baby-boomer retiree, which may represent contradictory or even impossible expectations for many retiring boomers. Baby boomers in the United States who are contemplating or already transitioning to retirement encounter a set of social customs and practices that differ from those experienced by previous generations. The nature of today’s retirement is being (re)shaped by a number of factors including a rise in life expectancy, greater economic instability, and changes in employment contracts (Henkens et al., 2017; Sargent, Lee, Martin, & Zikic, 2013). Due to these kinds of changes, boomers are likely to look to and be influenced by media representations of retirement and retirees (in addition to other sources of retirement information). In other words, because today’s retirees necessarily cannot follow in the footsteps of their parents, societal discourses associated with retirement may be particularly salient in providing guidance for this cohort (Alvesson & Kärreman, 2000). Indeed, scholars have analyzed media products such as newspapers for portrayals of related topics (e.g., aging) because of the function they serve in promulgating societal understandings and expectations. However, there is relatively little scholarship that systematically examines current societal ideas of retirement in the United States, especially when focused on the boomer cohort. This study addresses this gap by identifying discourses of retirement as presented in four high-circulation U.S. print media sources. REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Extant scholarship has conceptualized retirement in a variety of ways. For instance, Wang and Shultz (2010) identified four conceptualizations of retirement, based on their review of literature, as: (a) decision-making, (b) an adjustment processes, (c) a career development stage, and (d) part of human resource management. Other scholarship has taken an emic approach to conceptualizing retirement (e.g., Kojola & Moen, 2016; Smith & Dougherty, 2012). For example, Sargent, Bataille, Vough, and Lee (2011) analyzed interviews to explore how retired executives perceived their own retirement and found four meanings: exploring new horizons, searching for meaning, contributing on your own terms, and putting your feet up. Coupled with this variation in meaning(s) is the changing nature of retirement itself that has resulted from several factors. First, more people are living longer lives than ever before (Oeppen & Vaupel, 2002). On an individual level, this trend means that Americans must (re)conceptualize retirement to account for its greater duration (e.g., one who retires at the age of 65 can expect to live, on average, 20.3 years longer if female and 17.7 if male; U.S. News & World Report, 2014). On a broader level, these trends put stress on public (e.g., Social Security— Appendix A) and private (e.g., pensions) systems designed to financially support retirees (e.g., Henkens et al., 2017). Second, de-standardization of the life course has meant increasing variability across lifespans, with a concomitant influence on retirement experiences (Sargent et al., 2013). Individuals are choosing more individualized and varied paths in terms of the sequencing of their personal and professional lives (e.g., Kojola & Moen, 2016). Finally, additional changes in retirement experiences stem from shifting employment contracts. Global economic turbulence has led to a move from defined benefit to defined contribution pension schemes (Henkens et al., 2017; Sargent et al., 2013). Whereas loyalty to one’s employer used to lead to more certain financial benefits for employees, increasing numbers of employees are individually responsible for their own finances during retirement (i.e., without employer’s assistance). Moreover, employees themselves tend to switch employers more frequently than they once did over the course of their careers—sometimes of their own accord, but other times due to organizational downsizing or other external factors (e.g., Hall, 2004). Taken together, these (and other) changes suggest that the meaning of retirement is contested as boomers work to redefine what this life stage will mean for them. This evolving landscape, in turn, likely leads boomers to look to and be influenced by media representations of retirement, and respond to these representations in a range of ways. Media outlets are an important source where Americans get information. Nearly half (48%) of Americans aged 65+ get news from a print newspaper (Pew Research Center, 2016). Specific to retirement information, Lusardi (2003) reported that newspapers/magazines are the most common source of retirement savings/investment information for 34% of Americans. Other sources include financial planners/brokers (28%), “calling around” (25%), relatives/friends (21%), materials in the mail (11%), and accountants/lawyers (10%). Thus, individuals will inevitably glean information from a variety of sources about retirement—whatever it turns out to mean for them—and therefore encounter the cultural assumptions about retirement embedded in and reinforced by such sources. It is important to explore these assumptions because doing so allows us to understand at least some of the elements from which boomers are constructing their individualized versions of this process we call retirement. The current literature only hints at possible U.S.-based assumptions about retirement for the boomer cohort and so gaps in our understanding remain. Smith and Dougherty’s (2012) work examined interviews that were conducted prior to the Great Recession (a factor that influenced, and continues to influence, the retirement of many boomers). Laliberte Rudman (2006) and Ekerdt and Clark (2001) presented important insight into societal constructions of retirees, although the latter reported on depictions of retirees in Canadian newspapers in the early 2000s, while the former focused on constructions of retirees in U.S. financial advertisements in 1997/1998. This study takes a step toward addressing gaps in what we know about current discursive constructions of retirement for U.S. baby boomers by asking: What are U.S. societal discourses about retirement (as presented by high-circulation print sources)? To this end, the current study focuses on macro discourse or “broader social narratives” (Fairhurst & Putnam, 2004, p. 7) that shape and are shaped by micro- (and meso-) level discourses. Analyzing media texts, in part because of their possibility for wide distribution, is one way of identifying these macro discourses (see LeGreco & Tracy, 2009). Hence, the present study contributes to the retirement literature in a few ways. First, it identifies and describes discourse (in U.S. media outlets) from which boomers are likely constructing their versions of retirement. Furthermore, it is largely from these assumptions that others draw to develop expectations for the “ideal” retiree, constructions that may influence our interactions with one another. Finally, this study responds to Henkens et al.’s (2017) call by undertaking additional research that explores the meaning(s) of contemporary retirement. Discourse Perspectives Discourse perspectives, as a family, share the assumption that “language does not mirror reality, but constitutes it” (Fairhurst, 2009, p. 1608). Alvesson and Kärreman (2000) distinguished two levels of discourse: micro discourse that involves local, social text(s), and macro discourse, which involves societal-level ordering forces. Macro discourse is “a rather universal, if historically situated, set of vocabularies, standing loosely coupled to, referring to or constituting a particular phenomenon” (p. 1133). Discourse scholars identify a range of tropes in texts (e.g., metaphors) including hyperbole. Burgers, Brugman, Renardel de Lavalette, and Steen (2016) defined hyperbole as “an expression that is more extreme than justified given its ontological referent” (p. 166). Hyperbole can have an ironic tone (i.e., non-serious) but need not (Carston & Wearing, 2015). The goal of discourse perspectives is to identify themes that emerge across multiple sites, which can point to overarching assumptions that provide insight into possibilities for making sense of, talking about and enacting, in this case, today’s retirement. In this way, discourse offers parameters for what can be known, said, and thought about retirement in particular places and contexts (Fairclough, 1992). Discourse perspectives do not claim that all members of a group view and/or respond in an aggregate manner nor do they necessarily try to predict how individuals will behave as retirees. Still, research from areas like social psychology can provide insight into the conditions under which societal discourses, such as social norms expressed in text, may explain and even predict individual behavior (e.g., the focus theory of normative conduct; Cialdini, Reno, & Kallgren, 1990). Cialdini, Kallgren, and Reno (1991) described two types of social norms that motivate behavior in different ways. Descriptive norms do so by explicating how most individuals behave in particular contexts to achieve successful outcomes, whereas injunctive norms articulate what is generally viewed as acceptable (or not) and posit sanctions for behavior that does not align. Much of the empirical support for these claims has been established in studies focused on social problems (e.g., littering; Cialdini et al., 2006). Hence, discourse that communicates how most retirees act (descriptive) or how retirees ought to act (injunctive) may similarly motivate behavior. Societal discourse about aging and retirement Cultural and media materials (e.g., newspaper articles, art) are mechanisms for transmitting and/or reflecting societal discourses ( Appendix B). Scholars have analyzed these materials to gain understanding of discourses about a range of topics including aging. For instance, younger women were overrepresented and older women were underrepresented in advertisements, television shows and movies, and this trend occurred across nations including India, United States, and Germany (e.g., Kessler, Rakoczy, & Staudinger, 2004; Raman, Harwood, Weis, Anderson, & Miller, 2008). Of particular topical and methodological relevance for this study is Rozanova’s (2010) analysis of articles from a Canadian newspaper, which revealed three discursive themes of successful aging: (a) successful aging is an individual choice, (b) individuals are responsible for unsuccessful aging, and (c) aging successfully involves staying engaged. Although scholars have analyzed media materials to identify discourses of aging, systematic explorations of how American media sources present/reflect discourses associated with the specific phenomenon of retirement have been limited, although a handful of studies are germane because of their focus on societal (i.e., macro) discourses. Smith and Dougherty (2012) analyzed interviews with Americans from four different work-experience phases (i.e., micro discourses) to identify macro discourses. Their analysis revealed a broad narrative of “retirement as freedom,” according to which individuals were expected to pay their dues by working for years so that, upon retirement, they could spend years free from work. However, two significant “fractures” emerged: (a) participants were excited for retirement because the idea of “freedom” was attractive, yet they simultaneously feared retirement because it lacked routine, and (b) participants expected that part of the “freedom” of retirement would be financial, yet they simultaneously articulated that it is an individual’s responsibility to build a successful retirement (hence, not universally attainable). In addition, Laliberte Rudman (2006) and Ekerdt and Clark (2001) analyzed widely circulating texts to reveal macro discourses. The former was a critical discourse analysis of newspaper articles that identified four major discursive patterns, each one linked to an ideal retiree subjectivity type. These were (a) age-defying consumer, (b) prudential consumer, (c) age-defying producer, and (d) prudential producer. In the latter, Ekerdt and Clark (2001) analyzed print ads for retirement planning to examine how the financial industry framed retirees and retirement. Findings illustrate the typical/ideal customer as someone who is male and of higher socioeconomic status. He is assumed to be a financially sophisticated individual for whom retirement is a normative phase of the life course. Leisure in retirement is turned toward self (and occasionally family) and represented as disconnected from the present (i.e., retirees can engage in new things that they did/could not do when they were constrained by work). However, ads present financial planning for retirement as a difficult task that can best be accomplished by an investment professional. METHODS Media Texts A sample of 100 articles published between January 2009 and January 2015 were randomly selected from four different media sources (25 articles each from The Wall Street Journal [WSJ], The New York Times [NYT], USA Today [USA], and AARP The Magazine/Bulletin [AARP]— Appendix C) to create a dataset. This timeframe begins a few years before boomers started to reach “traditional” retirement age (i.e., 2011) as retirement issues become salient in advance of that group’s members’ decisions about exact retirement dates. Among other strategies, soon-to-be retirees likely start looking to media outlets for information. These outlets were chosen because the three newspapers have the highest daily circulation rates in the United States (Alliance for Audited Media, 2013) and the magazine is the most widely circulated consumer magazine (Alliance for Audited Media, 2014; Appendix D). Three other top-circulation magazines were considered for inclusion in the sample but were deemed not viable. Game Informer did not contain retirement-focused content. Three years of Reader’s Digest and Better Homes and Gardens were both systematically reviewed to identify all articles relevant to retirement. However, since the review identified only a handful of retirement-focused articles, these publications were excluded. Previous studies featuring similar methodology (i.e., analyses of media products to identify discourses) were used as a guide to determine the sample size for the present study. For example, Raman et al. (2008) used 40 magazine ads, while Ekerdt and Clark (2001) included 48 ads in their review. Laliberte Rudman (2006) included 138 newspaper articles, whereas Rozanova (2010) included 146 articles. Using these sample sizes as a guide, 100 articles was chosen as a sample size for the current study that would be representative of the population (perhaps especially if randomly selected) and manageable for study. Each outlet was searched using its pre-existing database for the terms “retirement” and “retiree” (e.g., back issues of AARP publications were accessed through the AARP newsstand online). Once the total number of results was determined, every article from an outlet was assigned a number and a random number generator was used to select 25 articles. In most cases, the selected article was appropriate for inclusion in the dataset. However, some of the articles identified did not fit with the study’s conceptualization of retirement (e.g., obituaries of “retired” military officers, articles about the “retirement” of professional sports players) and, in these cases, the numbered article following the selected one was included. This process resulted in a sample of 100 articles. Table 1 shows information about all articles and Table 2 provides a count of articles per year. Table 1. Articles Included in Text Sample (N = 100) With Citation and Coding Details Author Year Month Source Title Page(s) Codes Greene, K. 2009 February 14 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–There goes retirement: With their finances in shambles, many in the 60-plus crowd are looking for jobs; here’s how some are finding work and adjusting to new lives R1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tergesen, A. & Scism, L. 2009 April 18 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–Getting smart about annuities: These products can be loaded with traps and fees; but there are valuable ways to use them to build a pension—and salvage your nest egg R1 PREPARE Statman, M. 2009 August 24 WSJ Your Money Matters (A Special Report)– The mistakes we make and why we make them: How investors think often gets in the way of their results R1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tarquinio, J. A.a 2009 February 8 NYT Suddenly, retirees need a plan B BU12 HELP, AUTO, UNEXPECT Siegel Bernard, T.a 2009 July 25 NYT A boot camp to prepare for retirement B1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Luo, M 2009 September 7 NYT Out of work, and too down to search on: Millions of Americans left off jobless rolls A1 UNEXPECT Anonymousa 2009 January 26 NYT From here to retirement A22 AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L. 2009 April 7 USA What workers can do before cuts are made 2b PREPARE, AUTO Kelley, M.a 2009 November 19 USA As pensions dried up, four firms paid top execs $49.5M 2a AUTO Block, S. 2009 May 22 USA Company pensions are out on a limb 1b PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Young, Y. 2009 May 8 USA Black spending ways face Judgment Day 11a PREPARE, AUTO Hamilton, M.a 2009 February 26 AARP Pensions and the lucky few NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Hamilton, M. 2009 January 22 AARP Working longer is not always an option NA – Zielenziger, M. 2009 August 24 AARP Recession affects sunbelt as retirement destination NA LIVE, UNEXPECT Fleck, C.a 2009 July AARP More grandparents helping out NA UNEXPECT Glazer, E. 2010 October 24 WSJ Out of work, out of options and over the hill 1 HELP, UNEXPECT Lauricella, T. 2010 January 3 WSJ Refresh your retirement plan 2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO O’Connell, V. 2010 July 22 WSJ ‘Objection!’ Older lawyers resist forced retirement B1 – Mascia, J.a 2010 January 8 NYT Finding happiness in helping those who have less A22 PURPOSE Kolata, G.a 2010 October 12 NYT Taking early retirement may retire memory, too D1 MIND Lieber, R. 2010 November 5 NYT Stuck in the sandwich F1 NEW, UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2010 July 26 USA Villages let elderly grow old at home 3a NEW, LIVE Dugas, C.a 2010 October 25 USA For many over 55, debt defers dreams 1a AUTO, UNEXPECT Waggoner, J.a 2010 July 6 USA How will retiring Baby Boomers affect stocks? 1b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L.a 2010 May 25 USA Never too late to start a business 1b NEW, HELP Pepper, L. 2010 December 22 AARP Rent or own—What’s best for empty nesters NA LIVE, AUTO Price Johnson, S.a 2010 June 1 AARP State tries village concept; communities create networks to help neighbors age in place NA LIVE Hanc, J. 2010 January 5 AARP Discovery: For a healthy retirement, keep working NA NEW, BODY, SOCIAL Gandel, C. 2010 October 13 AARP Seniors are not on easy street, expert says NA – Anonymousa 2011 October 30 WSJ Great places to retire—and find a new job WSJ2 LIVE, NEW Levitz, J. 2011 November 28 WSJ US news: State’s new trick: Old dogs— Maine sees retirees as assets, seeks to attract them with tax cuts on pensions A3 NEW, LIVE, BODY Browning, E. S. 2011 December 19 WSJ Oldest baby boomers face jobs bust A1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE Zweig, J. 2011 March 26 WSJ Facing up: Meet the ‘Future You’: Like what you see?—New virtual reality techniques could help solve the age- old problem of saving for retirement B7 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tergesen, A. 2011 November 20 WSJ The benefits of working longer WSJ2 PREPARE, AUTO Ensign, R.a 2011 August 21 WSJ For many seniors, there may be no retirement 1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Leland, J. 2011 September 13 NYT Retiring later is hard road for laborers A1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Wasik, J.a 2011 March 3 NYT A planning aid, but not a road map F2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tarkan, L.a 2011 November 1 NYT A nursing home shrinks until it feels like a home D5 LIVE McEntee, G. 2011 January 18 USA Don’t blame public pensions 6a AUTO Lloyd, J.a 2011 May 10 USA Is this the anti-aging secret? 1d MIND, BODY Anonymous 2011 September 29 USA Tracking costs of benefits no easy task 4a AUTO Anonymous 2011 March 22 USA Boomers keep on chugging—but can they keep working? 6d NEW, UNEXPECT McDonald, M.a 2011 May 16 AARP Library makeovers draw seniors NA SOCIAL Hinden, S. 2011 May 12 AARP How long will I live? This longevity calculator may help you decide when to claim benefits NA HELP Rattner Heilman, J. 2011 July 19 AARP Husbands benefit from wives’ retirement NA SOCIAL Downing Peck, A.a 2011 July 20 AARP Don’t give your college graduate a free ride NA UNEXPECT Lamb, L. 2011 July 1 AARP ‘Friendly Visitors’ bring cheer to nursing home residents NA PURPOSE, SOCIAL Abrahms, S.a 2011 April 1 AARP Boomers redefine retirement living NA NEW, LIVE, MIND,SOCIAL AARPa 2011 December AARP Where to retire if you love the outdoors NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Levitz, J.a 2012 July 20 WSJ Area man joins organization where nothing much ever happens—The Dull Men’s Club is a place to talk of raking leaves and coffee and so on A1 SOCIAL Casselman, B. 2012 October 29 WSJ US news: The outlook: Fewer workers limits growth A2 UNEXPECT Various 2012 September 5 WSJ It’s up to you entrepreneurs to assure your retirement A16 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Lauricella, T.a 2012 May 27 WSJ Are you your retirement plan’s worst enemy? WSJ1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Cooper, M. & Williams Walsh, M.a 2012 April 26 NYT Public pensions, once off limits, face budget cuts A1 NEW, AUTO Wyatt, E. 2012 June 28 NYT Report highlights a rise in reverse mortgages B3 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Anonymousa 2012 September 16 NYT The road to retirement SR10 PREPARE, AUTO Korkki, P. 2012 September 12 NYT Childless and aging? time to designate a caregiver F9 LIVE Siegel Bernard, T. 2012 May 19 NYT Getting to retirement with minimal financial risk B1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2012 January 1 USA Abuse risk grows as USA grays 3a – Abrahms, S.a 2012 May 7 AARP Share common ground; more seniors are opting for smaller neighborhoods with a bigger sense of community NA NEW, LIVE, SOCIAL McKelvey, V.a 2012 June 1 AARP Sharpening the focus on utilities; volunteer watchdogs needed to voice customers’ concerns NA PURPOSE Hinden, S. 2012 February AARP Do young children get benefits? Some do, when a parent retires. NA – Shell, R. 2013 September 9 WSJ Encore (A Special Report): Essay— lessons from inching into retirement: A decision to work part time proves to be a challenge and an inspiration R10 NEW, SOCIAL Shah, N. 2013 March 22 WSJ US news: Older Americans loading up on Debt A4 UNEXPECT Stern, G.a 2013 June 24 WSJ CFO network (A Special Report)— Living long but not prospering: Joshua Gotbaum and Dallas Salisbury on the financial shortfall facing many retirees R5 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Pleven, L. 2013 May 18 WSJ The new basics: How will Gen X Retire? B8 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Porter, E. 2013 March 6 NYT The payoff in delaying retirement B1 NEW Siegel Bernard, T. 2013 March 30 NYT Rental investment may seem safer than it really is B1 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Sommer, J. 2013 June 9 NYT For retirees, A Million Dollar illusion BU1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Hawthorne, F.a 2013 September 10 NYT Choices give new meaning to ‘Home, Sweet Home’ F7 HELP, LIVE, SOCIAL Carrns, A.a 2013 November 20 NYT You plan your retirement, then you get the health bill F1 LIVE, UNEXPECT Dugas, C.a 2013 January 16 USA Baby Boomers reinvent retirement 3b NEW, HELP Lloyd, J.a 2013 January 30 USA Key to a healthy, happy retirement: Having fun 6b HELP, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE, SOCIAL Anonymous 2013 April 11 USA Obama’s budget tees up retirement program 8a PREPARE Brooks, R. 2013 September 10 USA Retirees like bright lights, big cities 1b NEW, LIVE Brooks, R.a 2013 February 12 USA Boomers need to act now to erase money fears 1b NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Brooks, R. 2013 April 9 USA Be ready for these 5 nasty shockers 1b PREPARE, UNEXPECT Krantz, M.a 2013 May 30 USA Sacrifice now or suffer later: Saving for retirement is a must 3b PREPARE, AUTO AARP 2013 June AARP Recruiters’ tips for screening the resumes of older applicants NA – AARP 2013 June AARP How employers can support working caregivers NA NEW AARPa 2013 April 29 AARP 10 great small cities for retirement NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Burgess, J. 2013 November AARP Boomers key to economic growth NA LIVE Romasco, R. 2013/2014 December/January AARP Myths About the 50+: When it comes to social security, Medicare, both young and old are affected NA – Various 2014 October 7 WSJ There really is a huge retirement crisis developing A14 PREPARE, AUTO Schieber, S. & Biggs, A. 2014 January 24 WSJ Retirees aren’t headed for the poor house A17 AUTO Vipal, M. 2014 March 25 WSJ CFO journal: Pension plans brace for a one-two punch B1 PREPARE, AUTO Waters, J. 2014 October 19 WSJ The advantages to retiring single p. fin. PREPARE Peters, M. & Wessel, D. 2014 February 6 WSJ Idled Americans: More men in their prime are out of work and at home A1 UNEXPECT Hannon, K.a 2014 April 12 NYT Childhood dreams can inspire rewarding second careers B5 NEW, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE Edleson, H. 2014 August 16 NYT For older couples, house-hunting begins with soul-searching B4 NEW, HELP, LIVE de Aenelle, C. 2014 October 23 NYT Making sure retirement savings don’t run out F2 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Olson, E.a 2014 July 5 NYT Some states look to fill a retirement savings gap B5 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Hellmich, N.a 2014 March 5 USA Retirement readiness grim in many states 2b PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2014 February 13 USA Average 401(k) balance soars 2b PREPARE Hellmich, N. 2014 April 11 USA How to see the world and not go broke 3b LIVE Roth, A. 2014 February/March AARP 5 ways to age-proof your finances NA HELP, AUTO, BODY,MIND Olen, H.a 2014 February/March AARP You call this retirement? Boomers still have work to do NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, PURPOSE Rosenthal, E. 2015 February 1 NYT Medical costs rise as retirees winter in south A1 LIVE Hellmich, N.a 2015 May 20 USA Study finds do-it-yourself investors 2b HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2015 February 23 USA 5 steps toward $1 Million 2b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Author Year Month Source Title Page(s) Codes Greene, K. 2009 February 14 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–There goes retirement: With their finances in shambles, many in the 60-plus crowd are looking for jobs; here’s how some are finding work and adjusting to new lives R1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tergesen, A. & Scism, L. 2009 April 18 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–Getting smart about annuities: These products can be loaded with traps and fees; but there are valuable ways to use them to build a pension—and salvage your nest egg R1 PREPARE Statman, M. 2009 August 24 WSJ Your Money Matters (A Special Report)– The mistakes we make and why we make them: How investors think often gets in the way of their results R1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tarquinio, J. A.a 2009 February 8 NYT Suddenly, retirees need a plan B BU12 HELP, AUTO, UNEXPECT Siegel Bernard, T.a 2009 July 25 NYT A boot camp to prepare for retirement B1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Luo, M 2009 September 7 NYT Out of work, and too down to search on: Millions of Americans left off jobless rolls A1 UNEXPECT Anonymousa 2009 January 26 NYT From here to retirement A22 AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L. 2009 April 7 USA What workers can do before cuts are made 2b PREPARE, AUTO Kelley, M.a 2009 November 19 USA As pensions dried up, four firms paid top execs $49.5M 2a AUTO Block, S. 2009 May 22 USA Company pensions are out on a limb 1b PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Young, Y. 2009 May 8 USA Black spending ways face Judgment Day 11a PREPARE, AUTO Hamilton, M.a 2009 February 26 AARP Pensions and the lucky few NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Hamilton, M. 2009 January 22 AARP Working longer is not always an option NA – Zielenziger, M. 2009 August 24 AARP Recession affects sunbelt as retirement destination NA LIVE, UNEXPECT Fleck, C.a 2009 July AARP More grandparents helping out NA UNEXPECT Glazer, E. 2010 October 24 WSJ Out of work, out of options and over the hill 1 HELP, UNEXPECT Lauricella, T. 2010 January 3 WSJ Refresh your retirement plan 2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO O’Connell, V. 2010 July 22 WSJ ‘Objection!’ Older lawyers resist forced retirement B1 – Mascia, J.a 2010 January 8 NYT Finding happiness in helping those who have less A22 PURPOSE Kolata, G.a 2010 October 12 NYT Taking early retirement may retire memory, too D1 MIND Lieber, R. 2010 November 5 NYT Stuck in the sandwich F1 NEW, UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2010 July 26 USA Villages let elderly grow old at home 3a NEW, LIVE Dugas, C.a 2010 October 25 USA For many over 55, debt defers dreams 1a AUTO, UNEXPECT Waggoner, J.a 2010 July 6 USA How will retiring Baby Boomers affect stocks? 1b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L.a 2010 May 25 USA Never too late to start a business 1b NEW, HELP Pepper, L. 2010 December 22 AARP Rent or own—What’s best for empty nesters NA LIVE, AUTO Price Johnson, S.a 2010 June 1 AARP State tries village concept; communities create networks to help neighbors age in place NA LIVE Hanc, J. 2010 January 5 AARP Discovery: For a healthy retirement, keep working NA NEW, BODY, SOCIAL Gandel, C. 2010 October 13 AARP Seniors are not on easy street, expert says NA – Anonymousa 2011 October 30 WSJ Great places to retire—and find a new job WSJ2 LIVE, NEW Levitz, J. 2011 November 28 WSJ US news: State’s new trick: Old dogs— Maine sees retirees as assets, seeks to attract them with tax cuts on pensions A3 NEW, LIVE, BODY Browning, E. S. 2011 December 19 WSJ Oldest baby boomers face jobs bust A1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE Zweig, J. 2011 March 26 WSJ Facing up: Meet the ‘Future You’: Like what you see?—New virtual reality techniques could help solve the age- old problem of saving for retirement B7 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tergesen, A. 2011 November 20 WSJ The benefits of working longer WSJ2 PREPARE, AUTO Ensign, R.a 2011 August 21 WSJ For many seniors, there may be no retirement 1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Leland, J. 2011 September 13 NYT Retiring later is hard road for laborers A1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Wasik, J.a 2011 March 3 NYT A planning aid, but not a road map F2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tarkan, L.a 2011 November 1 NYT A nursing home shrinks until it feels like a home D5 LIVE McEntee, G. 2011 January 18 USA Don’t blame public pensions 6a AUTO Lloyd, J.a 2011 May 10 USA Is this the anti-aging secret? 1d MIND, BODY Anonymous 2011 September 29 USA Tracking costs of benefits no easy task 4a AUTO Anonymous 2011 March 22 USA Boomers keep on chugging—but can they keep working? 6d NEW, UNEXPECT McDonald, M.a 2011 May 16 AARP Library makeovers draw seniors NA SOCIAL Hinden, S. 2011 May 12 AARP How long will I live? This longevity calculator may help you decide when to claim benefits NA HELP Rattner Heilman, J. 2011 July 19 AARP Husbands benefit from wives’ retirement NA SOCIAL Downing Peck, A.a 2011 July 20 AARP Don’t give your college graduate a free ride NA UNEXPECT Lamb, L. 2011 July 1 AARP ‘Friendly Visitors’ bring cheer to nursing home residents NA PURPOSE, SOCIAL Abrahms, S.a 2011 April 1 AARP Boomers redefine retirement living NA NEW, LIVE, MIND,SOCIAL AARPa 2011 December AARP Where to retire if you love the outdoors NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Levitz, J.a 2012 July 20 WSJ Area man joins organization where nothing much ever happens—The Dull Men’s Club is a place to talk of raking leaves and coffee and so on A1 SOCIAL Casselman, B. 2012 October 29 WSJ US news: The outlook: Fewer workers limits growth A2 UNEXPECT Various 2012 September 5 WSJ It’s up to you entrepreneurs to assure your retirement A16 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Lauricella, T.a 2012 May 27 WSJ Are you your retirement plan’s worst enemy? WSJ1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Cooper, M. & Williams Walsh, M.a 2012 April 26 NYT Public pensions, once off limits, face budget cuts A1 NEW, AUTO Wyatt, E. 2012 June 28 NYT Report highlights a rise in reverse mortgages B3 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Anonymousa 2012 September 16 NYT The road to retirement SR10 PREPARE, AUTO Korkki, P. 2012 September 12 NYT Childless and aging? time to designate a caregiver F9 LIVE Siegel Bernard, T. 2012 May 19 NYT Getting to retirement with minimal financial risk B1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2012 January 1 USA Abuse risk grows as USA grays 3a – Abrahms, S.a 2012 May 7 AARP Share common ground; more seniors are opting for smaller neighborhoods with a bigger sense of community NA NEW, LIVE, SOCIAL McKelvey, V.a 2012 June 1 AARP Sharpening the focus on utilities; volunteer watchdogs needed to voice customers’ concerns NA PURPOSE Hinden, S. 2012 February AARP Do young children get benefits? Some do, when a parent retires. NA – Shell, R. 2013 September 9 WSJ Encore (A Special Report): Essay— lessons from inching into retirement: A decision to work part time proves to be a challenge and an inspiration R10 NEW, SOCIAL Shah, N. 2013 March 22 WSJ US news: Older Americans loading up on Debt A4 UNEXPECT Stern, G.a 2013 June 24 WSJ CFO network (A Special Report)— Living long but not prospering: Joshua Gotbaum and Dallas Salisbury on the financial shortfall facing many retirees R5 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Pleven, L. 2013 May 18 WSJ The new basics: How will Gen X Retire? B8 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Porter, E. 2013 March 6 NYT The payoff in delaying retirement B1 NEW Siegel Bernard, T. 2013 March 30 NYT Rental investment may seem safer than it really is B1 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Sommer, J. 2013 June 9 NYT For retirees, A Million Dollar illusion BU1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Hawthorne, F.a 2013 September 10 NYT Choices give new meaning to ‘Home, Sweet Home’ F7 HELP, LIVE, SOCIAL Carrns, A.a 2013 November 20 NYT You plan your retirement, then you get the health bill F1 LIVE, UNEXPECT Dugas, C.a 2013 January 16 USA Baby Boomers reinvent retirement 3b NEW, HELP Lloyd, J.a 2013 January 30 USA Key to a healthy, happy retirement: Having fun 6b HELP, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE, SOCIAL Anonymous 2013 April 11 USA Obama’s budget tees up retirement program 8a PREPARE Brooks, R. 2013 September 10 USA Retirees like bright lights, big cities 1b NEW, LIVE Brooks, R.a 2013 February 12 USA Boomers need to act now to erase money fears 1b NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Brooks, R. 2013 April 9 USA Be ready for these 5 nasty shockers 1b PREPARE, UNEXPECT Krantz, M.a 2013 May 30 USA Sacrifice now or suffer later: Saving for retirement is a must 3b PREPARE, AUTO AARP 2013 June AARP Recruiters’ tips for screening the resumes of older applicants NA – AARP 2013 June AARP How employers can support working caregivers NA NEW AARPa 2013 April 29 AARP 10 great small cities for retirement NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Burgess, J. 2013 November AARP Boomers key to economic growth NA LIVE Romasco, R. 2013/2014 December/January AARP Myths About the 50+: When it comes to social security, Medicare, both young and old are affected NA – Various 2014 October 7 WSJ There really is a huge retirement crisis developing A14 PREPARE, AUTO Schieber, S. & Biggs, A. 2014 January 24 WSJ Retirees aren’t headed for the poor house A17 AUTO Vipal, M. 2014 March 25 WSJ CFO journal: Pension plans brace for a one-two punch B1 PREPARE, AUTO Waters, J. 2014 October 19 WSJ The advantages to retiring single p. fin. PREPARE Peters, M. & Wessel, D. 2014 February 6 WSJ Idled Americans: More men in their prime are out of work and at home A1 UNEXPECT Hannon, K.a 2014 April 12 NYT Childhood dreams can inspire rewarding second careers B5 NEW, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE Edleson, H. 2014 August 16 NYT For older couples, house-hunting begins with soul-searching B4 NEW, HELP, LIVE de Aenelle, C. 2014 October 23 NYT Making sure retirement savings don’t run out F2 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Olson, E.a 2014 July 5 NYT Some states look to fill a retirement savings gap B5 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Hellmich, N.a 2014 March 5 USA Retirement readiness grim in many states 2b PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2014 February 13 USA Average 401(k) balance soars 2b PREPARE Hellmich, N. 2014 April 11 USA How to see the world and not go broke 3b LIVE Roth, A. 2014 February/March AARP 5 ways to age-proof your finances NA HELP, AUTO, BODY,MIND Olen, H.a 2014 February/March AARP You call this retirement? Boomers still have work to do NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, PURPOSE Rosenthal, E. 2015 February 1 NYT Medical costs rise as retirees winter in south A1 LIVE Hellmich, N.a 2015 May 20 USA Study finds do-it-yourself investors 2b HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2015 February 23 USA 5 steps toward $1 Million 2b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Notes. For codes, Theme 1: PREPARE = you need to financially prepare for retirement; AUTO = it is your responsibility to save for retirement; UNEXPECT = your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues. Theme 2: NEW = retirement is new for you; HELP = you’ll probably need help figuring out retirement; LIVE, retirees re-locate and so you probably should, too. Theme 3: BODY/MIND = you need to stay fit; PURPOSE = you will need to find a new reason to get up in the morning; SOCIAL = you should stick with other retirees; “–” means not supporting any sub-theme described in the manuscript. AARP = AARP The Magazine/Bulletin; NYT = The New York Times; USA = USA Today; WSJ = The Wall Street Journal. NA = Not Available. aArticles cited in the “Results” section. Open in new tab Table 1. Articles Included in Text Sample (N = 100) With Citation and Coding Details Author Year Month Source Title Page(s) Codes Greene, K. 2009 February 14 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–There goes retirement: With their finances in shambles, many in the 60-plus crowd are looking for jobs; here’s how some are finding work and adjusting to new lives R1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tergesen, A. & Scism, L. 2009 April 18 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–Getting smart about annuities: These products can be loaded with traps and fees; but there are valuable ways to use them to build a pension—and salvage your nest egg R1 PREPARE Statman, M. 2009 August 24 WSJ Your Money Matters (A Special Report)– The mistakes we make and why we make them: How investors think often gets in the way of their results R1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tarquinio, J. A.a 2009 February 8 NYT Suddenly, retirees need a plan B BU12 HELP, AUTO, UNEXPECT Siegel Bernard, T.a 2009 July 25 NYT A boot camp to prepare for retirement B1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Luo, M 2009 September 7 NYT Out of work, and too down to search on: Millions of Americans left off jobless rolls A1 UNEXPECT Anonymousa 2009 January 26 NYT From here to retirement A22 AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L. 2009 April 7 USA What workers can do before cuts are made 2b PREPARE, AUTO Kelley, M.a 2009 November 19 USA As pensions dried up, four firms paid top execs $49.5M 2a AUTO Block, S. 2009 May 22 USA Company pensions are out on a limb 1b PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Young, Y. 2009 May 8 USA Black spending ways face Judgment Day 11a PREPARE, AUTO Hamilton, M.a 2009 February 26 AARP Pensions and the lucky few NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Hamilton, M. 2009 January 22 AARP Working longer is not always an option NA – Zielenziger, M. 2009 August 24 AARP Recession affects sunbelt as retirement destination NA LIVE, UNEXPECT Fleck, C.a 2009 July AARP More grandparents helping out NA UNEXPECT Glazer, E. 2010 October 24 WSJ Out of work, out of options and over the hill 1 HELP, UNEXPECT Lauricella, T. 2010 January 3 WSJ Refresh your retirement plan 2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO O’Connell, V. 2010 July 22 WSJ ‘Objection!’ Older lawyers resist forced retirement B1 – Mascia, J.a 2010 January 8 NYT Finding happiness in helping those who have less A22 PURPOSE Kolata, G.a 2010 October 12 NYT Taking early retirement may retire memory, too D1 MIND Lieber, R. 2010 November 5 NYT Stuck in the sandwich F1 NEW, UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2010 July 26 USA Villages let elderly grow old at home 3a NEW, LIVE Dugas, C.a 2010 October 25 USA For many over 55, debt defers dreams 1a AUTO, UNEXPECT Waggoner, J.a 2010 July 6 USA How will retiring Baby Boomers affect stocks? 1b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L.a 2010 May 25 USA Never too late to start a business 1b NEW, HELP Pepper, L. 2010 December 22 AARP Rent or own—What’s best for empty nesters NA LIVE, AUTO Price Johnson, S.a 2010 June 1 AARP State tries village concept; communities create networks to help neighbors age in place NA LIVE Hanc, J. 2010 January 5 AARP Discovery: For a healthy retirement, keep working NA NEW, BODY, SOCIAL Gandel, C. 2010 October 13 AARP Seniors are not on easy street, expert says NA – Anonymousa 2011 October 30 WSJ Great places to retire—and find a new job WSJ2 LIVE, NEW Levitz, J. 2011 November 28 WSJ US news: State’s new trick: Old dogs— Maine sees retirees as assets, seeks to attract them with tax cuts on pensions A3 NEW, LIVE, BODY Browning, E. S. 2011 December 19 WSJ Oldest baby boomers face jobs bust A1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE Zweig, J. 2011 March 26 WSJ Facing up: Meet the ‘Future You’: Like what you see?—New virtual reality techniques could help solve the age- old problem of saving for retirement B7 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tergesen, A. 2011 November 20 WSJ The benefits of working longer WSJ2 PREPARE, AUTO Ensign, R.a 2011 August 21 WSJ For many seniors, there may be no retirement 1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Leland, J. 2011 September 13 NYT Retiring later is hard road for laborers A1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Wasik, J.a 2011 March 3 NYT A planning aid, but not a road map F2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tarkan, L.a 2011 November 1 NYT A nursing home shrinks until it feels like a home D5 LIVE McEntee, G. 2011 January 18 USA Don’t blame public pensions 6a AUTO Lloyd, J.a 2011 May 10 USA Is this the anti-aging secret? 1d MIND, BODY Anonymous 2011 September 29 USA Tracking costs of benefits no easy task 4a AUTO Anonymous 2011 March 22 USA Boomers keep on chugging—but can they keep working? 6d NEW, UNEXPECT McDonald, M.a 2011 May 16 AARP Library makeovers draw seniors NA SOCIAL Hinden, S. 2011 May 12 AARP How long will I live? This longevity calculator may help you decide when to claim benefits NA HELP Rattner Heilman, J. 2011 July 19 AARP Husbands benefit from wives’ retirement NA SOCIAL Downing Peck, A.a 2011 July 20 AARP Don’t give your college graduate a free ride NA UNEXPECT Lamb, L. 2011 July 1 AARP ‘Friendly Visitors’ bring cheer to nursing home residents NA PURPOSE, SOCIAL Abrahms, S.a 2011 April 1 AARP Boomers redefine retirement living NA NEW, LIVE, MIND,SOCIAL AARPa 2011 December AARP Where to retire if you love the outdoors NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Levitz, J.a 2012 July 20 WSJ Area man joins organization where nothing much ever happens—The Dull Men’s Club is a place to talk of raking leaves and coffee and so on A1 SOCIAL Casselman, B. 2012 October 29 WSJ US news: The outlook: Fewer workers limits growth A2 UNEXPECT Various 2012 September 5 WSJ It’s up to you entrepreneurs to assure your retirement A16 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Lauricella, T.a 2012 May 27 WSJ Are you your retirement plan’s worst enemy? WSJ1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Cooper, M. & Williams Walsh, M.a 2012 April 26 NYT Public pensions, once off limits, face budget cuts A1 NEW, AUTO Wyatt, E. 2012 June 28 NYT Report highlights a rise in reverse mortgages B3 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Anonymousa 2012 September 16 NYT The road to retirement SR10 PREPARE, AUTO Korkki, P. 2012 September 12 NYT Childless and aging? time to designate a caregiver F9 LIVE Siegel Bernard, T. 2012 May 19 NYT Getting to retirement with minimal financial risk B1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2012 January 1 USA Abuse risk grows as USA grays 3a – Abrahms, S.a 2012 May 7 AARP Share common ground; more seniors are opting for smaller neighborhoods with a bigger sense of community NA NEW, LIVE, SOCIAL McKelvey, V.a 2012 June 1 AARP Sharpening the focus on utilities; volunteer watchdogs needed to voice customers’ concerns NA PURPOSE Hinden, S. 2012 February AARP Do young children get benefits? Some do, when a parent retires. NA – Shell, R. 2013 September 9 WSJ Encore (A Special Report): Essay— lessons from inching into retirement: A decision to work part time proves to be a challenge and an inspiration R10 NEW, SOCIAL Shah, N. 2013 March 22 WSJ US news: Older Americans loading up on Debt A4 UNEXPECT Stern, G.a 2013 June 24 WSJ CFO network (A Special Report)— Living long but not prospering: Joshua Gotbaum and Dallas Salisbury on the financial shortfall facing many retirees R5 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Pleven, L. 2013 May 18 WSJ The new basics: How will Gen X Retire? B8 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Porter, E. 2013 March 6 NYT The payoff in delaying retirement B1 NEW Siegel Bernard, T. 2013 March 30 NYT Rental investment may seem safer than it really is B1 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Sommer, J. 2013 June 9 NYT For retirees, A Million Dollar illusion BU1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Hawthorne, F.a 2013 September 10 NYT Choices give new meaning to ‘Home, Sweet Home’ F7 HELP, LIVE, SOCIAL Carrns, A.a 2013 November 20 NYT You plan your retirement, then you get the health bill F1 LIVE, UNEXPECT Dugas, C.a 2013 January 16 USA Baby Boomers reinvent retirement 3b NEW, HELP Lloyd, J.a 2013 January 30 USA Key to a healthy, happy retirement: Having fun 6b HELP, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE, SOCIAL Anonymous 2013 April 11 USA Obama’s budget tees up retirement program 8a PREPARE Brooks, R. 2013 September 10 USA Retirees like bright lights, big cities 1b NEW, LIVE Brooks, R.a 2013 February 12 USA Boomers need to act now to erase money fears 1b NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Brooks, R. 2013 April 9 USA Be ready for these 5 nasty shockers 1b PREPARE, UNEXPECT Krantz, M.a 2013 May 30 USA Sacrifice now or suffer later: Saving for retirement is a must 3b PREPARE, AUTO AARP 2013 June AARP Recruiters’ tips for screening the resumes of older applicants NA – AARP 2013 June AARP How employers can support working caregivers NA NEW AARPa 2013 April 29 AARP 10 great small cities for retirement NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Burgess, J. 2013 November AARP Boomers key to economic growth NA LIVE Romasco, R. 2013/2014 December/January AARP Myths About the 50+: When it comes to social security, Medicare, both young and old are affected NA – Various 2014 October 7 WSJ There really is a huge retirement crisis developing A14 PREPARE, AUTO Schieber, S. & Biggs, A. 2014 January 24 WSJ Retirees aren’t headed for the poor house A17 AUTO Vipal, M. 2014 March 25 WSJ CFO journal: Pension plans brace for a one-two punch B1 PREPARE, AUTO Waters, J. 2014 October 19 WSJ The advantages to retiring single p. fin. PREPARE Peters, M. & Wessel, D. 2014 February 6 WSJ Idled Americans: More men in their prime are out of work and at home A1 UNEXPECT Hannon, K.a 2014 April 12 NYT Childhood dreams can inspire rewarding second careers B5 NEW, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE Edleson, H. 2014 August 16 NYT For older couples, house-hunting begins with soul-searching B4 NEW, HELP, LIVE de Aenelle, C. 2014 October 23 NYT Making sure retirement savings don’t run out F2 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Olson, E.a 2014 July 5 NYT Some states look to fill a retirement savings gap B5 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Hellmich, N.a 2014 March 5 USA Retirement readiness grim in many states 2b PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2014 February 13 USA Average 401(k) balance soars 2b PREPARE Hellmich, N. 2014 April 11 USA How to see the world and not go broke 3b LIVE Roth, A. 2014 February/March AARP 5 ways to age-proof your finances NA HELP, AUTO, BODY,MIND Olen, H.a 2014 February/March AARP You call this retirement? Boomers still have work to do NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, PURPOSE Rosenthal, E. 2015 February 1 NYT Medical costs rise as retirees winter in south A1 LIVE Hellmich, N.a 2015 May 20 USA Study finds do-it-yourself investors 2b HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2015 February 23 USA 5 steps toward $1 Million 2b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Author Year Month Source Title Page(s) Codes Greene, K. 2009 February 14 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–There goes retirement: With their finances in shambles, many in the 60-plus crowd are looking for jobs; here’s how some are finding work and adjusting to new lives R1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tergesen, A. & Scism, L. 2009 April 18 WSJ Encore (A Special Report)–Getting smart about annuities: These products can be loaded with traps and fees; but there are valuable ways to use them to build a pension—and salvage your nest egg R1 PREPARE Statman, M. 2009 August 24 WSJ Your Money Matters (A Special Report)– The mistakes we make and why we make them: How investors think often gets in the way of their results R1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Tarquinio, J. A.a 2009 February 8 NYT Suddenly, retirees need a plan B BU12 HELP, AUTO, UNEXPECT Siegel Bernard, T.a 2009 July 25 NYT A boot camp to prepare for retirement B1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Luo, M 2009 September 7 NYT Out of work, and too down to search on: Millions of Americans left off jobless rolls A1 UNEXPECT Anonymousa 2009 January 26 NYT From here to retirement A22 AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L. 2009 April 7 USA What workers can do before cuts are made 2b PREPARE, AUTO Kelley, M.a 2009 November 19 USA As pensions dried up, four firms paid top execs $49.5M 2a AUTO Block, S. 2009 May 22 USA Company pensions are out on a limb 1b PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Young, Y. 2009 May 8 USA Black spending ways face Judgment Day 11a PREPARE, AUTO Hamilton, M.a 2009 February 26 AARP Pensions and the lucky few NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Hamilton, M. 2009 January 22 AARP Working longer is not always an option NA – Zielenziger, M. 2009 August 24 AARP Recession affects sunbelt as retirement destination NA LIVE, UNEXPECT Fleck, C.a 2009 July AARP More grandparents helping out NA UNEXPECT Glazer, E. 2010 October 24 WSJ Out of work, out of options and over the hill 1 HELP, UNEXPECT Lauricella, T. 2010 January 3 WSJ Refresh your retirement plan 2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO O’Connell, V. 2010 July 22 WSJ ‘Objection!’ Older lawyers resist forced retirement B1 – Mascia, J.a 2010 January 8 NYT Finding happiness in helping those who have less A22 PURPOSE Kolata, G.a 2010 October 12 NYT Taking early retirement may retire memory, too D1 MIND Lieber, R. 2010 November 5 NYT Stuck in the sandwich F1 NEW, UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2010 July 26 USA Villages let elderly grow old at home 3a NEW, LIVE Dugas, C.a 2010 October 25 USA For many over 55, debt defers dreams 1a AUTO, UNEXPECT Waggoner, J.a 2010 July 6 USA How will retiring Baby Boomers affect stocks? 1b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Petrecca, L.a 2010 May 25 USA Never too late to start a business 1b NEW, HELP Pepper, L. 2010 December 22 AARP Rent or own—What’s best for empty nesters NA LIVE, AUTO Price Johnson, S.a 2010 June 1 AARP State tries village concept; communities create networks to help neighbors age in place NA LIVE Hanc, J. 2010 January 5 AARP Discovery: For a healthy retirement, keep working NA NEW, BODY, SOCIAL Gandel, C. 2010 October 13 AARP Seniors are not on easy street, expert says NA – Anonymousa 2011 October 30 WSJ Great places to retire—and find a new job WSJ2 LIVE, NEW Levitz, J. 2011 November 28 WSJ US news: State’s new trick: Old dogs— Maine sees retirees as assets, seeks to attract them with tax cuts on pensions A3 NEW, LIVE, BODY Browning, E. S. 2011 December 19 WSJ Oldest baby boomers face jobs bust A1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE Zweig, J. 2011 March 26 WSJ Facing up: Meet the ‘Future You’: Like what you see?—New virtual reality techniques could help solve the age- old problem of saving for retirement B7 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tergesen, A. 2011 November 20 WSJ The benefits of working longer WSJ2 PREPARE, AUTO Ensign, R.a 2011 August 21 WSJ For many seniors, there may be no retirement 1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Leland, J. 2011 September 13 NYT Retiring later is hard road for laborers A1 NEW, AUTO, UNEXPECT Wasik, J.a 2011 March 3 NYT A planning aid, but not a road map F2 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Tarkan, L.a 2011 November 1 NYT A nursing home shrinks until it feels like a home D5 LIVE McEntee, G. 2011 January 18 USA Don’t blame public pensions 6a AUTO Lloyd, J.a 2011 May 10 USA Is this the anti-aging secret? 1d MIND, BODY Anonymous 2011 September 29 USA Tracking costs of benefits no easy task 4a AUTO Anonymous 2011 March 22 USA Boomers keep on chugging—but can they keep working? 6d NEW, UNEXPECT McDonald, M.a 2011 May 16 AARP Library makeovers draw seniors NA SOCIAL Hinden, S. 2011 May 12 AARP How long will I live? This longevity calculator may help you decide when to claim benefits NA HELP Rattner Heilman, J. 2011 July 19 AARP Husbands benefit from wives’ retirement NA SOCIAL Downing Peck, A.a 2011 July 20 AARP Don’t give your college graduate a free ride NA UNEXPECT Lamb, L. 2011 July 1 AARP ‘Friendly Visitors’ bring cheer to nursing home residents NA PURPOSE, SOCIAL Abrahms, S.a 2011 April 1 AARP Boomers redefine retirement living NA NEW, LIVE, MIND,SOCIAL AARPa 2011 December AARP Where to retire if you love the outdoors NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Levitz, J.a 2012 July 20 WSJ Area man joins organization where nothing much ever happens—The Dull Men’s Club is a place to talk of raking leaves and coffee and so on A1 SOCIAL Casselman, B. 2012 October 29 WSJ US news: The outlook: Fewer workers limits growth A2 UNEXPECT Various 2012 September 5 WSJ It’s up to you entrepreneurs to assure your retirement A16 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Lauricella, T.a 2012 May 27 WSJ Are you your retirement plan’s worst enemy? WSJ1 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO, UNEXPECT Cooper, M. & Williams Walsh, M.a 2012 April 26 NYT Public pensions, once off limits, face budget cuts A1 NEW, AUTO Wyatt, E. 2012 June 28 NYT Report highlights a rise in reverse mortgages B3 HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Anonymousa 2012 September 16 NYT The road to retirement SR10 PREPARE, AUTO Korkki, P. 2012 September 12 NYT Childless and aging? time to designate a caregiver F9 LIVE Siegel Bernard, T. 2012 May 19 NYT Getting to retirement with minimal financial risk B1 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT El Nasser, H. 2012 January 1 USA Abuse risk grows as USA grays 3a – Abrahms, S.a 2012 May 7 AARP Share common ground; more seniors are opting for smaller neighborhoods with a bigger sense of community NA NEW, LIVE, SOCIAL McKelvey, V.a 2012 June 1 AARP Sharpening the focus on utilities; volunteer watchdogs needed to voice customers’ concerns NA PURPOSE Hinden, S. 2012 February AARP Do young children get benefits? Some do, when a parent retires. NA – Shell, R. 2013 September 9 WSJ Encore (A Special Report): Essay— lessons from inching into retirement: A decision to work part time proves to be a challenge and an inspiration R10 NEW, SOCIAL Shah, N. 2013 March 22 WSJ US news: Older Americans loading up on Debt A4 UNEXPECT Stern, G.a 2013 June 24 WSJ CFO network (A Special Report)— Living long but not prospering: Joshua Gotbaum and Dallas Salisbury on the financial shortfall facing many retirees R5 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Pleven, L. 2013 May 18 WSJ The new basics: How will Gen X Retire? B8 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Porter, E. 2013 March 6 NYT The payoff in delaying retirement B1 NEW Siegel Bernard, T. 2013 March 30 NYT Rental investment may seem safer than it really is B1 PREPARE, UNEXPECT Sommer, J. 2013 June 9 NYT For retirees, A Million Dollar illusion BU1 NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Hawthorne, F.a 2013 September 10 NYT Choices give new meaning to ‘Home, Sweet Home’ F7 HELP, LIVE, SOCIAL Carrns, A.a 2013 November 20 NYT You plan your retirement, then you get the health bill F1 LIVE, UNEXPECT Dugas, C.a 2013 January 16 USA Baby Boomers reinvent retirement 3b NEW, HELP Lloyd, J.a 2013 January 30 USA Key to a healthy, happy retirement: Having fun 6b HELP, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE, SOCIAL Anonymous 2013 April 11 USA Obama’s budget tees up retirement program 8a PREPARE Brooks, R. 2013 September 10 USA Retirees like bright lights, big cities 1b NEW, LIVE Brooks, R.a 2013 February 12 USA Boomers need to act now to erase money fears 1b NEW, HELP, PREPARE,AUTO, UNEXPECT Brooks, R. 2013 April 9 USA Be ready for these 5 nasty shockers 1b PREPARE, UNEXPECT Krantz, M.a 2013 May 30 USA Sacrifice now or suffer later: Saving for retirement is a must 3b PREPARE, AUTO AARP 2013 June AARP Recruiters’ tips for screening the resumes of older applicants NA – AARP 2013 June AARP How employers can support working caregivers NA NEW AARPa 2013 April 29 AARP 10 great small cities for retirement NA LIVE, MIND, BODY Burgess, J. 2013 November AARP Boomers key to economic growth NA LIVE Romasco, R. 2013/2014 December/January AARP Myths About the 50+: When it comes to social security, Medicare, both young and old are affected NA – Various 2014 October 7 WSJ There really is a huge retirement crisis developing A14 PREPARE, AUTO Schieber, S. & Biggs, A. 2014 January 24 WSJ Retirees aren’t headed for the poor house A17 AUTO Vipal, M. 2014 March 25 WSJ CFO journal: Pension plans brace for a one-two punch B1 PREPARE, AUTO Waters, J. 2014 October 19 WSJ The advantages to retiring single p. fin. PREPARE Peters, M. & Wessel, D. 2014 February 6 WSJ Idled Americans: More men in their prime are out of work and at home A1 UNEXPECT Hannon, K.a 2014 April 12 NYT Childhood dreams can inspire rewarding second careers B5 NEW, MIND, BODY,PURPOSE Edleson, H. 2014 August 16 NYT For older couples, house-hunting begins with soul-searching B4 NEW, HELP, LIVE de Aenelle, C. 2014 October 23 NYT Making sure retirement savings don’t run out F2 NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Olson, E.a 2014 July 5 NYT Some states look to fill a retirement savings gap B5 PREPARE, AUTO,UNEXPECT Hellmich, N.a 2014 March 5 USA Retirement readiness grim in many states 2b PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2014 February 13 USA Average 401(k) balance soars 2b PREPARE Hellmich, N. 2014 April 11 USA How to see the world and not go broke 3b LIVE Roth, A. 2014 February/March AARP 5 ways to age-proof your finances NA HELP, AUTO, BODY,MIND Olen, H.a 2014 February/March AARP You call this retirement? Boomers still have work to do NA NEW, PREPARE, AUTO, PURPOSE Rosenthal, E. 2015 February 1 NYT Medical costs rise as retirees winter in south A1 LIVE Hellmich, N.a 2015 May 20 USA Study finds do-it-yourself investors 2b HELP, PREPARE, AUTO Brooks, R. 2015 February 23 USA 5 steps toward $1 Million 2b NEW, PREPARE, AUTO Notes. For codes, Theme 1: PREPARE = you need to financially prepare for retirement; AUTO = it is your responsibility to save for retirement; UNEXPECT = your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues. Theme 2: NEW = retirement is new for you; HELP = you’ll probably need help figuring out retirement; LIVE, retirees re-locate and so you probably should, too. Theme 3: BODY/MIND = you need to stay fit; PURPOSE = you will need to find a new reason to get up in the morning; SOCIAL = you should stick with other retirees; “–” means not supporting any sub-theme described in the manuscript. AARP = AARP The Magazine/Bulletin; NYT = The New York Times; USA = USA Today; WSJ = The Wall Street Journal. NA = Not Available. aArticles cited in the “Results” section. Open in new tab Table 2. Article Frequency (Across All Sources) per Year Count (n = 100) Year 15 2009 14 2010 20 2011 13 2012 20 2013 1 2013/2014 14 2014 3 2015 Count (n = 100) Year 15 2009 14 2010 20 2011 13 2012 20 2013 1 2013/2014 14 2014 3 2015 Open in new tab Table 2. Article Frequency (Across All Sources) per Year Count (n = 100) Year 15 2009 14 2010 20 2011 13 2012 20 2013 1 2013/2014 14 2014 3 2015 Count (n = 100) Year 15 2009 14 2010 20 2011 13 2012 20 2013 1 2013/2014 14 2014 3 2015 Open in new tab Analysis With a team of three research assistants, I conducted a thematic analysis of media texts utilizing a recursive process in line with (a) Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases and (b) methods employed by other researchers conducting thematic analyses of media texts (e.g., Rozanova, 2010). Each article had three coders (author plus two assistants). We focused our analyses on the article title and full text. All articles from one outlet were analyzed (i.e., familiarization through identifying themes) before moving to the next in the following order: WSJ, NYT, and USA. First, our team familiarized ourselves with the 25 articles from one outlet by reading the articles and taking notes. Second, each coder developed a list of initial codes relating, broadly, to retirement for each article and noted extracts relevant to initial codes. Codes are “the most basic segment…of the raw data” (Boyatzis, 1998, p. 63). Third, we identified themes (a) individually by noting patterns of codes that cut across our articles, and (b) collectively by discussing possible themes in weekly team meetings. I maintained a comprehensive list of all emerging theme ideas (e.g., boomers reinvent themselves, money is a worry, filling time in retirement, create a new career) and their locations (i.e., article number, extract). Next, we reviewed our themes to group them into broader themes with relevant sub-themes and discussed the overall story of the data. Themes are overarching ideas that (abstractly) connect codes and sub-themes are “smaller” ideas that support or align with a theme (Braun & Clarke, 2006). This phase involved creating visual representations of our findings by drawing them on a dry erase board during meetings (see Figure 1 for thematic map; Braun & Clarke, 2006). For each theme, we created a name, definition, and examples of how we knew whether a theme was present (with extracts) (Boyatzis, 1998). Themes were inductive (i.e., data driven) and were not mutually exclusive. Finally, I wrote and shared a preliminary version of the findings with two members of the research team, who read it and provided written feedback that directed subsequent revisions. To further test the validity of these results, I analyzed the final 25 articles (AARP) with two research team members in a second round of coding (following the steps described above) to determine whether themes from the new articles fit with, changed, or departed entirely from those already identified. Figure 1. Open in new tabDownload slide Map of discourses of retirement themes and sub-themes. Figure 1. Open in new tabDownload slide Map of discourses of retirement themes and sub-themes. Peer debriefing was used to verify study validity (i.e., experts on the topic, methods, or theory reviewed findings and offered insight; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Four of the author’s colleagues (two of whom conduct extensive qualitative research and another two who are experts in aging/life course research) provided feedback on study findings such as asking questions, challenging author assumptions, and/or seeking clarification. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATIONS Analysis revealed three broad discourses of retirement: (a) financing retirement, (b) charting a “new” retirement course, and (c) staying active in retirement ( Appendix E). The first theme was present in approximately two thirds of the articles, the second in just over half and the final theme in one third of the articles. Sub-themes were based on between 7 and 41 articles. All articles cited in this section are from the study sample (N = 100). Financing Retirement Discourse emphasizing the importance of finances in retirement played out in three related ideas: you need to financially prepare for retirement; it is your responsibility to save for retirement; and your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues. You need to financially prepare for retirement By far the most powerful of these three sub-themes in the discourse is this insistence on retirees financially readying themselves for retirement. Some articles frame this message in relatively optimistic terms. For instance, an article titled “Boomers need to act now to erase money fears: Outliving savings can be avoided with planning” (Brooks, 2013) makes specific suggestions aimed at assisting boomers with financial preparation. Advice includes “set a goal and start planning” and “manage your debt.” The overall idea is that retirement is attainable, if desired, if one “act[s] now” so that “money fears” can indeed be “erased.” But this optimism was relatively rare in the sample. The majority of articles were far more pessimistic, or even alarmist, depicting a bleak outlook by declaring that “most Americans, by and large, cannot afford to retire” (Anonymous, 2012, para 2). Moreover, claims like this are communicated in language that invokes physicality—as in, for example, the “financial shortfall facing many retirees” (Stern, 2013)—but even overt violence, as when the mistakes Americans are making are said to cause their financial retirement plans to “blow up” (Lauricella, 2012). It is your responsibility to save for retirement Related to the importance of financially preparing for one’s retirement is discourse about personal responsibility, which echoes the self-reliance narrative of American pioneers. Specifically, it is up to each individual—the proverbial “you”—to financially plan for retirement and you should not expect much assistance from your employer or the government. Appropriately saving for one’s retirement might require sacrifice, but the message, at least based on this sample of texts, is both clear and, sometimes, quite dire: “sacrifice now or suffer later” (Krantz, 2013, para 1). Not only that, but “saving a small amount…just isn’t going to cut it” (Krantz, 2013, para 5). This discourse lays the blame for not “appropriately” saving for retirement squarely on the individual. As one article puts it, quoting a financial adviser: “Lack of discipline is the No. 1 reason people do not save enough for retirement” (Olson, 2014, para 12). Moreover, this sample of articles extends this logic of personal responsibility in suggesting that neither governments nor employers are prepared to financially support retirees. One article concludes: “people have to take ‘ownership’ that their future is up to them” (Hellmich, 2014, para 14). Unlike previous generations, boomers cannot and/or should not rely on their employer for (much) financial assistance during retirement, as suggested in this article’s title: “Pensions and the lucky few: If your job offers a traditional retirement plan, congratulations! You have an increasingly rare but reliable benefit” (Hamilton, 2009, para 1). This article goes on to point to a decrease in traditional pension plans (i.e., company-sponsored with “defined” benefits), and then quotes the Bureau of Labor Statistics: “For more and more workers, this means that risk—in terms of steady retirement income—has been transferred from the employer to the eventual retiree” (Hamilton, 2009, para 4). Further, the discourse warns even those “congratulated” for having traditional plans should not (or cannot?) truly rely on them (e.g., Kelley, 2009; Waggoner, 2010). One article titled “Public pensions, once off limits, face budget cuts,” describes the outcome of arbitration in Detroit, MI that allowed the city to reduce pensions currently earned by its police sergeants and lieutenants (Cooper & Williams Walsh, 2012). This particular decision is framed as “extreme,” yet “officials in [money] strapped states…have begun to…see whether there might be loopholes [in the laws] allowing them to cut the pension benefits of current employees” (Cooper & Williams Walsh, 2012, paras 11, 2). In other words, even if your retirement savings plan includes a defined benefit—one that used to be considered “sacrosanct” (Cooper & Williams Walsh, 2012, p. 2)—you are not immune to potential financial loss. Your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues In addition to pension cuts, there is a long list of issues that seemingly undermine one’s ability to adequately save for retirement by ruining even the most prudent financial planning efforts. This list includes the effects of financial recession (e.g., Tarquinio, 2009), family requests for money (e.g., Fleck, 2009), and health care costs (e.g., Carrns, 2013). In other words, you need to financially prepare for retirement, but given all possible unexpected happenings, you really cannot adequately do so. Given that this sample included articles published in the years surrounding the Great Recession, the severe impact of this economic downturn on retirement savings in the United States was a salient issue. For instance, one article states: “because of the plunge in the markets, many retirees are worrying that they might outlive their money” (Tarquinio, 2009, para 1). A second, which argues for greater government oversight of retirement investments, states: “the wipeout in 401(k)s has made it clear that it is not enough to get people to save more. There needs to be a better way to reasonably ensure that a lifetime of savings can’t be undone by forces beyond one’s control” (Anonymous, 2009, para 11, emphasis added). A third claims that the recession caused many Americans to “put their retirement dreams on hold as they face a dismal financial reality” (Dugas, 2010, para 1). The financial recession—an influence largely outside of an individual’s control—delayed retirement for some boomers and may have completely prevented it for others. Language choices such as “plunge,” “wipeout,” and “dismal financial reality” are not statements of fact, but perhaps more hyperbole. The family dimension of retirement finances—that is, family members needing or requesting money—is characterized in similarly negative ways when it comes to one’s planning efforts. In general, boomers are advised not to financially assist family members such as grandchildren, adult children, and/or parents, especially if they are tapping into their retirement savings to do so. One article quotes a financial expert regarding the consequences for retired boomers who provide aid as “shrinking the amount of resources they’re going to have for the rest of their lives,” and that those who are still working but provide aid “may have to work even longer to give themselves more time to replenish the money they’ve given to their children and grandchildren that they should’ve been saving” (Fleck, 2009, paras 8–10, emphasis added). One example is the case of Angela Gregor who took money from her individual retirement account and stopped contributing to it so she could pay for her mother’s medical care (Ensign, 2011). Now, at age 67, Gregor says: “Everything is more expensive. I cannot retire, I wish I could” (Ensign, 2011, para 3). Indeed, she finds herself having to work longer, but alternative options included denying her mother the financial assistance—and perhaps watching her suffer—so that Gregor could have continued to save as she “should” and, hence, retire earlier. Likewise, older Americans are instructed not to “give your college graduate a free ride” (Downing Peck, 2011, para 1). This characterization aligns (quite literally) with a pioneer theme (“ride”) and, perhaps, suggests that in this discourse, retirement is framed so powerfully in terms of self-reliance that family ties may need to be jettisoned (at times). In fact, the recurring specter of “outliving one’s money” is often cast so robustly that its obverse becomes the purpose of life. It is imperative that parents require their adult children to handle their own expenses or at least create rules that regulate any aid parents do give. Rules might include an “exit strategy” (i.e., how long will the adult child live at home?), dollar limit (stop when limit is reached), and signed contract (i.e., get loan terms in writing). These suggestions frame parental boundaries in business terms (e.g., exit strategy), which offer an interesting perspective on an “exchange” that might also be called love or familial obligation. Charting a “New” Retirement Course Discourse that retirement for boomers is unlike the retirement experienced by previous generations is supported by three ideas: retirement is “new” for you; you’ll probably need help figuring out retirement; and retirees re-locate…and so you probably should, too. Retirement is “new” for you This discourse suggests that boomers are adjusting to a retirement that is unique: in other words, utterly unlike the retirement experiences of any previous generation (and most notably, perhaps, their parents’). The subtitle of one article, for example, emphasizes the changing nature of retirement by contrasting today’s retirees with those of the past who, ostensibly, golfed in retirement: “As the idea of the American retiree evolves, not so many in this generation will hit the links” (Olen, 2014). The discourse tends to present this theme in relatively hyperbolic ways. Thus, according to one article, the “Baby Boomers who grew up during the hippie counterculture movement are unlikely to follow in their parents’ footsteps as they approach retirement” is straightforward enough, but then comes the hyperbole: “But Baby Boomers, many of whom are turning 65, have no road maps” (Dugas, 2013, emphasis added). Boomers, then, are left to create these “road maps” for themselves, representing retirement as a challenging endeavor, literally a pioneer undertaking. Developing a retirement road map requires, in a sense, that each retiree must determine what retirement means to him or her: must, to stay with the metaphor, blaze his or her own trail. And indeed, “figure out what retirement means to you” is listed as one of five things boomers can do to prepare for retirement (Brooks, 2013). Part of developing one’s retirement map is considering which retirement format best suits an individual given a range of options including bridge employment and phased retirement. For instance, articles describe retirees’ journeys to finding rewarding second careers in retirement such as a retired Navy captain who parlayed a childhood love for the circus into becoming company manager for the Big Apple Circus (Hannon, 2014). Another article discusses retirees’ entrepreneurial efforts including a couple who started an alpaca farm (Petrecca, 2010). Notably, neither of these examples depicts what might be termed a “traditional” retirement where an individual completely and permanently leaves paid work. You’ll probably need help figuring out retirement A counterpart to the discourse’s admonition that retirement is “new” for you is the notion that boomers ought to get help when charting their retirement road map. In other words, precisely because retirement is “new” for boomers, individuals will likely need help to figure out their own particular approach. Possible sources of assistance for soon-to-be and recent retirees include financial advisers, of course, but also retirement coaches, life transition coaches, elder life advisers, certified senior advisers, geriatric case managers, and social workers (Dugas, 2013; Hawthorne, 2013; Lloyd, 2013). The tendency toward hyperbole shows up here, as well. So, for instance, individuals considering retirement are told that they might enroll in a “retirement boot camp” that focuses on finances, but also aims to demonstrate “what retirement feels like” (Siegel Bernard, 2009, para 1). In other words, would-be retirees need to think of themselves as pioneers, but also—at least by analogy—as preparing for military service. This discourse also takes a cautionary tone by speaking to the possible consequences of a retiree not getting help. “Do-it-yourself investors” are an exemplar. The majority of workers independently manage their 401(k) plans ( Appendix F); however, half of these individuals are “unengaged” and thus not getting the largest possible financial returns (Hellmich, 2015). This group would benefit from “professional management” of their portfolio. Similarly, online retirement calculators that individuals can use on their own to evaluate financial needs for retirement can be useful, but are “no substitute for a qualified retirement planner” (Wasik, 2011). Retirees re-locate … and so you probably should, too An additional consideration in charting one’s retirement course is determining where to live. As one article notes: “In choosing how they want to age, and where, boomers are helping shape the future of housing” (Abrahms, 2011, para 3). Evoking a physical pioneering of sorts, relocating in retirement can mean moving to new geographic locations and/or into new living arrangements. In terms of the former, several articles offer lists of “ideal” cities to retire (e.g., places to retire if you love the outdoors—AARP, 2011; great small cities to retire—AARP, 2013). For instance, Santa Fe, NM and Lincoln, NE are listed based on criteria like tax rates, cost-of-living estimates, unemployment rates, and job opportunities for seniors (Anonymous, 2011). These last two criteria align with the notion that today’s retirees are unlikely to have a “traditional” retirement experience and, instead, will probably be working—or looking for work—in retirement: “not too long ago, the whole point of retirement was not working. But today’s retirees are increasingly counting themselves among the job seekers” (Anonymous, 2011, para 1). In terms of living arrangements, articles describe new living situations that presumably address retirees’ needs. As one article remarks: “families and the retirement industry have reworked old lifestyle formats and created hybrids” such as “group homes that try to be family-like, and ‘villages’ of individual households” (Hawthorne, 2013, para 3). For example, “pocket neighborhoods” are clusters of approximately 12 compact houses that share a green space (Abrahms, 2012). This option offers boomers “smaller neighborhoods with a bigger sense of community” (subtitle) and a “way to feel connected” (para 12). Moreover, boomers view these neighborhoods as places “where people look out for one another, socialize and when needed, take care of each other” (para 6). The Green House Project is developing another possible living arrangement that is a “familylike version of nursing homes” (Tarkan, 2011). These small residences (e.g., 10 individuals) are home-like: they have the typical rooms in a house with private bedrooms/baths surrounding public areas—but no nursing stations—and food is eaten family-style around a table rather than delivered to individual rooms. Regardless of the particular geographic location or housing format, this discourse tends to frame individuals’ current living situations (and communities) as inadequate or undesirable to inhabit during retirement and/or as one ages and, hence, suggests that boomers should set out in search of more suitable places to live. An exception to this imperative of relocating in retirement is to “age in place” (Price Johnson, 2010, subtitle), which typically involves adapting one’s current home to make it more amenable to things like decreased mobility (e.g., widen doorways for wheelchair access; create usable bedroom on ground floor; Hawthorne, 2013). To enable aging in place, the “village concept” involves a neighbor-helping-neighbor system where residents “band together to arrange support services like transportation and home repairs, often hiring a manager to coordinate things” (Hawthorne, 2013, para 10). Staying Active in Retirement Three related ideas support a discourse suggesting that individuals need to stay active to have a “successful” retirement. You need to stay fit Articles emphasized the importance of both physical and mental fitness. First, staying physically active is critical to a healthy, happy retirement. For example, the deputy director of the National Institute of Aging is quoted: “Exercise is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth…with all the gains we’ve made over the years allowing people to live longer, it would be nice if more people would take advantage of exercise to improve quality of a longer life” (Lloyd, 2011, para 4). In other words, if/when you retire, you need to stay physically active (and it is up to you to do so). Second, articles describe the importance of keeping one’s mind active in retirement as a way to preserve memory and mental acuity. And, the recommendation is to do more than the “traditional” crossword puzzles that are often associated with retirements of the past (in line with retirement is “new” for you). Failing to actively engage one’s mind during retirement results in memory decline. According to Kolata, “researchers repeatedly find that retired people as a group tend to do less well on cognitive tests than people who are still working” (2010, para 5). In another article entitled “Key to a healthy, happy retirement,” Lloyd notes that seeking out opportunities to continue learning can help maintain a retiree’s mental health (2013). You will need to find a new reason to get up in the morning (because you are no longer working) According to this discursive construction, one reason retirees should stay active is so they can maintain a sense of purpose or meaning in their lives. The implication here is that Americans may lose purpose or meaning when they cease engaging in paid employment. For example, Lloyd describes the retirement of a lawyer (2013) who states, “When you no longer have a job, you need to find a new mission” (para 10). The use of the term “mission” as a way to characterize how one might spend time in retirement offers an interesting parallel to the “retirement boot camp” analogy previously referenced (in You’ll probably need help figuring it out). The article further discusses the importance of “find[ing] new meaning” in retirement and quotes author Dan Buettner: “then you stop working and lose that thing that gets you up every morning” (para 17). This framing presents work as a—or perhaps the—primary source of meaning and purpose in one’s life, which is lost when one ceases employment. In addition, there is seemingly guidance for which activities provide adequate purpose. Laurie Lawson, a life transition coach, suggests that even those retirees who are able to pay to “take cruise after cruise still need a game plan for when the ship finally docks” (Lloyd, 2013, para 7). In other words, self-oriented leisure activities like travel likely will not provide sufficient purpose for retirees. By contrast, service activities like volunteering emerge as providing an “appropriate” new purpose. One article describes the experiences of Sheila Salmon, a retired teacher, who volunteered for an outpatient mental health clinic and men’s health crisis center (Mascia, 2010). Salmon explains that she gives her time because “It’s deeply satisfying work, and to be able to do something very directly. It’s easy to donate money, but you don’t see the results of it” (Mascia, 2010, para 10). Key messages from the article support the notion that volunteering prevents retirees from spending time “twiddling…thumbs,” provides them with social connection, and is “deeply satisfying work” that offers “instant gratification” (Mascia, 2010, para 10). Another article details the experiences of a retiree who volunteers as a utility advocate (McKelvey, 2012), which entails monitoring decisions made by utility companies and speaking on behalf of consumers. Volunteering, then, is constructed as a normative and purpose-giving activity for retirees. You should stick with other retirees Part of staying active is socializing with others, primarily other retirees. This discourse suggests that retirees lose the social connection provided to them by/from work. One article describes the Dull Men’s Club, part of a nationwide proliferation of commitment-free, no-membership-required clubs of retired men, who meet simply to gather and discuss everyday aspects of life (Levitz, 2012). A member of a similar club, Retired Old Men Eating Out (“ROMEO”), says, “Most of the guys had a group of workers they went to lunch with every day, and when they retire, they lose that connection” (para 10). Another ROMEO member belongs to the club because “it just makes me feel good, like I have a lot of friends” (Levitz, 2012, para 19). Other articles support the idea that making new friends yields a happy retirement: “People who replace work contacts with other contacts [in retirement] are happiest” (Waldinger as quoted by Lloyd, 2013, para 15). Again, this discourse casts relationships in ways parallel to the pioneering metaphor from above—pioneers/retirees should circle up with other pioneers/retirees for meals. It is noteworthy that work friendships are “replaced” (rather than continued) in much the same way that it was challenging for pioneers to maintain connections with those “back east.” One article underscores the importance of retirees socializing and situates renovated libraries as an important context where this can occur (McDonald, 2011). Libraries are tasked with creating “inviting senior spaces” that can serve as “old-fashioned general store(s)” where people can interact with others in the community (para 6). Moreover, libraries allow for intergenerational socializing rather than retirees only interacting with other retirees—a marked difference from the scenarios described above. Programs like a weekly “Tech Nite” attract multigenerational crowds where teens teach older citizens how to use Skype and Facebook. Similar to the framing of new living arrangements, libraries are characterized here as places where retirees can interact with others in their community. DISCUSSION The unique nature of today’s retirement experiences may have yielded a desire and/or need for guidance among baby boomers. Analysis of articles from U.S. print media sources identified three discourses that offer insight into the kinds of messaging that surround today’s retirees including its contradictory nature and focus on an “ideal” retiree. Contradictory Discourses This set of discourses reveal tensions that contribute to ongoing conversations about the nature of retirement by tapping into three broader dialectics: (a) freedom versus constraint, (b) autonomy versus heteronomy, and (c) certainty versus uncertainty. In doing so, results offer one response to Henkens et al.’s (2017) call for additional research that explores the meaning of contemporary retirement: today’s retirement is a series of contradictions. Dialectics here are in line with the thinking of relational dialectics that explore relational tensions and the ways in which tensions give voice to broader societal discourses (e.g., Baxter & Montgomery, 1996). They were identified by considering how discourses “speak” to one another (i.e., they emerge from looking across themes/sub-themes rather than considering clusters). See Table 3 for a summary of the links between study results and dialectics. Table 3. Summary of Dialectics (Discussion) and Sub-themes (Results) Dialectic Freedom vs. Constraint Autonomy vs. Heteronomy Certainty vs. Uncertainty Meaning Retirees have latitude to create a new retirement but there are still boundaries about what “counts” Retirees are expected to take care of their own retirement but they are embedded in larger systems Retirees need to have precise plans but must make them despite an absence of necessary/complete information Support from study sub-themes • Retirement is “new” for you • Retirement is “new” for you • You need to financially prepare for retirement • Retirees re-locate and so you probably should, too. • You’ll probably need help figuring out retirement • It is your responsibility to save for retirement • You need to stay fit • Your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues • You will need to find a new reason to get up in the morning • You should stick with other retirees Dialectic Freedom vs. Constraint Autonomy vs. Heteronomy Certainty vs. Uncertainty Meaning Retirees have latitude to create a new retirement but there are still boundaries about what “counts” Retirees are expected to take care of their own retirement but they are embedded in larger systems Retirees need to have precise plans but must make them despite an absence of necessary/complete information Support from study sub-themes • Retirement is “new” for you • Retirement is “new” for you • You need to financially prepare for retirement • Retirees re-locate and so you probably should, too. • You’ll probably need help figuring out retirement • It is your responsibility to save for retirement • You need to stay fit • Your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues • You will need to find a new reason to get up in the morning • You should stick with other retirees Note. Within each column, the italicized sub-themes are in tension with non-italicized sub-themes. Support listed is illustrative, rather than exhaustive. Open in new tab Table 3. Summary of Dialectics (Discussion) and Sub-themes (Results) Dialectic Freedom vs. Constraint Autonomy vs. Heteronomy Certainty vs. Uncertainty Meaning Retirees have latitude to create a new retirement but there are still boundaries about what “counts” Retirees are expected to take care of their own retirement but they are embedded in larger systems Retirees need to have precise plans but must make them despite an absence of necessary/complete information Support from study sub-themes • Retirement is “new” for you • Retirement is “new” for you • You need to financially prepare for retirement • Retirees re-locate and so you probably should, too. • You’ll probably need help figuring out retirement • It is your responsibility to save for retirement • You need to stay fit • Your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues • You will need to find a new reason to get up in the morning • You should stick with other retirees Dialectic Freedom vs. Constraint Autonomy vs. Heteronomy Certainty vs. Uncertainty Meaning Retirees have latitude to create a new retirement but there are still boundaries about what “counts” Retirees are expected to take care of their own retirement but they are embedded in larger systems Retirees need to have precise plans but must make them despite an absence of necessary/complete information Support from study sub-themes • Retirement is “new” for you • Retirement is “new” for you • You need to financially prepare for retirement • Retirees re-locate and so you probably should, too. • You’ll probably need help figuring out retirement • It is your responsibility to save for retirement • You need to stay fit • Your financial planning efforts will be ruined by unexpected issues • You will need to find a new reason to get up in the morning • You should stick with other retirees Note. Within each column, the italicized sub-themes are in tension with non-italicized sub-themes. Support listed is illustrative, rather than exhaustive. Open in new tab Freedom versus constraint This dialectic is a product of the inherent contradiction between such thematically driven declarations as “what you do in this new retirement is entirely up to you” versus “some things you choose to do in retirement will be mistakes.” For instance, on one hand retirees are empowered to engage in whatever activities they would like in their “new” retirement, yet findings also point to limitations on which activities are appropriate for retirees (e.g., those that keep retirees physically, mentally and socially active). In other words, the latitude afforded to boomer retirees has boundaries. And, indeed, not engaging in such activities is the equivalent of not being active—something that is not acceptable for retirees as it yields an unsuccessful retirement, according to findings from this study. These constraints align with previous work suggesting that the activities retirees choose to engage in are (or should be) different from those they enjoy in the present (Ekerdt & Clark, 2001). Furthermore, findings indicate that retirees should seemingly also seek out new social contacts. That is, there is very little discussion in this sample of retirees maintaining relationships with friends from their (former) workplaces or pre-retirement lives. Rather, themes describe retired individuals relocating so they can be nearer to other individuals who are like them (i.e., active retirees) or joining loosely organized clubs that enable low-commitment socializing with other retirees. Taken together, today’s retirees may feel that even though they have been given additional latitude in creating a “new” retirement, their experiences and choices are still fundamentally constrained. Autonomy versus heteronomy This dialectic is animated by tension between representations that feature retirees as feeling powerfully agentive versus representations of them as feeling “controlled” by and/or embedded in a larger system (i.e., it is up to the individual to make prudent choices but the individual is embedded in systems that influence the ability to truly be autonomous). Findings here underscore the increasing prevalence of a narrative focused on self-reliance, personal responsibility, and, perhaps, individualism associated with retirement in America. Previous research primarily described this individual-focus in relation to financial preparation. For instance, Ekerdt and Clark’s (2001) analysis framed the ideal retiree as a financially savvy male who—through personal responsibility—has been diligent in his saving efforts but whose knowledge of retirement financial planning is incomplete. In their sample of ads, Social Security was not mentioned at all, which may have implications for individuals’ confidence in—or even awareness of—the role of institutional arrangements in supporting retirees. Notably, Ekerdt and Clark’s study focused on ads placed by financial planning companies and so the findings that messaging (a) attempted to create anxiety about how challenging it is to financially plan for retirement, and (b) focused on individual planning efforts (rather than governmental mechanisms) is perhaps not surprising. However, ideas from the current analysis of more recent newspaper articles (which likely do not share the agenda of financial planning institutions) echo this contradiction in pointing to both the need for individuals to financially plan for retirement (autonomy) and that individuals will likely need assistance in making sense of the many financial planning options (heteronomy). This contradiction between the individual nature of retirement and an imperative to seek help extends beyond the financial realm. Indeed, elder life advisers, certified senior advisers, retirement boot camp coaches, and so on are all offered as sources to provide guidance about a range of retirement issues. Not engaging with these sources is a personal decision which will likely lead to one to experience a less-than-desirable retirement. Ultimately, the “new” retirement allows—and simultaneously requires—each individual to make his/her own way into and in retirement. However, individuals may struggle to marry the notion that retirement is an individual endeavor with the idea that retiring is a process embedded in systems that are difficult for individuals to navigate on their own (and, hence, likely require assistance to understand). Such a dialectic yields a practical implication: those who advise retirees should make clients aware of this kind of tension. It is worth noting that since much of such advisement costs money and, thus, is not available to everyone, those who cannot afford advice may be destined to experience “unsuccessful” retirements, according to this sample. Certainty versus uncertainty Reflecting on the three sub-themes of “financing retirement” presents a contradictory picture suggesting that while every worker (at least in theory) needs to financially plan for retirement, in fact no individual worker is in a realistic position to do so, which exemplifies a broader dialectic of certainty versus uncertainty. Results make clear that it is imperative to save money for retirement and that these efforts are up to retiring individuals themselves. Competing with this “certain” directive, however, is description of all the unexpected—often uncontrollable—events that are likely to ruin even the most careful planning efforts. For instance, in the case of the Great Recession, having appropriately saved for retirement by investing in the stock market worked to the detriment of some boomers in that their retirement savings shrank in a short period of time (e.g., Read, 2015). Many of these individuals—who had planned to retire soon—were forced to continue working or, if they had already retired, made the decision to return to work. In situations like these, individuals may have financially prepared so they could be assured of their retirement (certainty), but had their efforts thwarted by events that could not have been known in advance (uncertainty). In other instances, such as family member’s requests for money or other forms of help, retirees again have the concrete-seeming directive to financially prepare, but could never feel a sense of certainty over the possible requests that could negatively impact their planning efforts. As the “sandwich generation” boomers often provide assistance to both their aging parents and their children (and, by extension, grandchildren). In terms of financial contributions, one study (as reported by Brooks, 2012) reported that nearly 60% of boomers assist their aging parents (e.g., purchase groceries, pay medical bills) and 90% have assisted adult children (e.g., pay college loans or rent/utilities). Other forms of assistance, such as caregiving, require non-monetary resources from boomers like time (and may prevent them from earning money for themselves). Indeed, raising one’s grandchildren is an increasing reality for many: one child in 10 in the United States lives with a grandparent, and about 41% of these are being primarily raised by that grandparent (Livingston & Parker, 2010). Even individuals who carefully planned for the financial aspects of retirement likely did not financially prepare to pay for an ill parent’s medical needs, bail out a child’s failing business endeavor or raise a grandchild. Boomers could choose to refuse loved one’s requests for assistance (indeed, this is seemingly the advice given in this sample of texts) but this might essentially mean consenting to the death of a parent or watching one’s child (and likely his spouse/partner and/or children) struggle to make ends meet. Faced with this decision, boomers often choose to offer financial assistance even when it puts their own financial lives—and/or retirements—at risk. This dialectic of certainty versus uncertainty is one explored in many contexts punctuated by change, but how it operates may be context specific. The tripartite model of uncertainty in the context of chronic illness, for example, includes medical uncertainty (related to understanding the medical aspects of illness such as making sense of diagnoses; e.g., what does it mean to be “borderline diabetic”?), personal uncertainty (related to individual’s concerns about the impact of illness on valued identities, personal and professional roles, or financial stability), and social uncertainty (related to managing potential changes in relationships that result from illness) (e.g., Brashers, Neidig, Reynolds, & Haas, 1998; Donovan, Brown, LeFebvre, Tardif, & Love, 2015). In the case of retirement, a tension between feeling confident in one’s financial planning efforts versus recognizing that one’s planning efforts can only ever be partial (as described above) is one example of how uncertainty operates. Additional ways in which this dialectic plays out include what might be called retirement uncertainty (akin to medical uncertainty). Here, individuals struggle with notions of what it means to be retired, what retirement options are most appropriate, whether one should retire at all, or how to create routines in one’s “new” retirement life. For example, an article titled “How Long Will I Live?” describes a calculator that predicts life expectancy (i.e., certainty), which is designed to help individuals determine when to retire (Hinden, 2011). However, the article notes that the calculator does not take things like “current health, lifestyle and family history” into account and that, ultimately, “there is no one best age for everyone” to retire so “it is your choice” (i.e., uncertainty) (Answer Section, para 10). There is also personal uncertainty in retirement, which relates to individuals’ concerns about the implications of being retired on their valued identities, personal and professional roles, and financial stability. Finally, social uncertainty refers to issues of how to negotiate interpersonal interactions and relationships in one’s retired life. That is, individuals may need to determine how to (re) define relational boundaries with partners, family members and friends. (Re)Conceptualizing retirement Considering retirement as a series of contradictions can be compared and contrasted to other conceptualizations of retirement. For example, as previously noted, Wang and Shultz (2010) identified four conceptualizations of retirement (decision-making, adjustment processes, career development stage, part of human resource management). The notion of retirement as decision-making relies on (or assumes) varying degrees of agency on the part of the retiree (e.g., s/he is weighing factors and choosing to retire), which aligns with notions of self-reliance in this sample (“It is your responsibility…”). There is a consistent emphasis on individualism. Furthermore, conceptualizing retirement as an adjustment process—especially a focus on the postretirement trajectory—overlaps with discourses that articulate where, how, and even with whom retirees ideally develop in postretirement life (i.e., to achieve psychological comfort as retired individuals). For example, the sub-theme of relocating (“Retirees relocate…”) speaks to the notion that adjusting to retirement may be better done somewhere else (vs. where you are at present), and should facilitate an active lifestyle (“You need to stay fit”) carried out alongside other retirees (“You should stick with…”). Next, viewing retirement as a career development stage—especially as a late career development stage—aligns with discourse from this study that emphasizes ongoing potential for continued career development in retirement (“Retirement is new…”). Highlighting the possibilities for what can be “continued” may even be exaggerated in this study (i.e., the reality of an end to this ability is seemingly downplayed). Finally, conceptualizing retirement as part of human resource management did not receive as much attention in this study as the other three views, although it is implicit in sub-themes like “You’ll need help...” (HR could provide help). This difference may be explained by the intended audience of the articles analyzed in this study (everyday individuals are not necessarily interested in helping organizations reach their goals). A final note is that finances was more prominent in the current study themes than in any of Wang and Shultz’s conceptualizations (only as part of decision-making). This may be due, in part, to the timeframe during which articles were sampled being proximal to the Great Recession. One Size Fits All? It is worth noting that, for the most part, articles in this sample treat retirement like it is “one size fits all.” That is, only a handful explicitly acknowledge the ways that retirement experiences might be influenced by gender, race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, relational status, mental or physical disability, or other factors. For example, one article articulates differences in financial savings based on race (i.e., “18% of people of color have retirement accounts compared with 43.4% of their white counterparts”; Young, 2009). A second references job-type by describing how Americans engaged in physical labor feel “forgotten” because most policy discussions about older workers focus on those who hold “relatively undemanding jobs at desks and computers” (Leland, 2010, para 5). This means that the nearly 45% of older workers who hold physical jobs (e.g., janitors, nurses’ aides, plumbers, cashiers) would somehow have to “squeeze more years of work out of aging bodies” when/if the Social Security age is raised (Leland, 2010, para 7). Practically speaking, then, individuals reading the sort of retirement literature sampled for this study who do not fit the rather singular figure of a heteronormative, married, male-gendered, white-collar retiree will not find themselves represented in that literature significantly. Hence, it may behoove journalists to write about a broader range of retirement experiences rather than focusing on this figure. Limitations and Future Directions Like all studies, the current investigation has strengths and limitations. Discourses identified in this study emerged from only a sub-set of articles published in U.S. outlets during a particular timeframe. That is, a decision was made to include 25 articles from each of four widely circulated publications. Alternative methods of article sampling could have been used such as basing number of articles per outlet on circulation, in which case, AARP would have had greater representation in the sample than other three sources. However, AARP is an interest group that works to advocate for older Americans. In this way, it may be argued that they have a particular bias/agenda, which raises concerns about how such an approach might influence results. This is not suggesting that the other publications do not present bias, just perhaps that they do not identify as having such. Still, it is logical to think that findings from this study accurately reflect broader discursive representations of retirement and retirees. Indeed, several of the themes have been echoed in previous analyses of contemporary texts on retirement (e.g., Kojola & Moen, 2016; Laliberte Rudman, 2006; Smith & Dougherty, 2012). However, ongoing analysis of relevant texts—perhaps with an expanded scope that includes other media sources such as television programs—could help confirm current findings and/or illuminate additional discourses. Also, the current study focused on societal discourses about retirement, arguing that they offer insight into forces that encourage and constrain retirees’ choices and actions. An important outstanding question, then, is the extent to which individuals nearing retirement age or current retirees are actually aware of, influenced by, and/or respond to these discourses. Focus group or interview studies could examine the influence of discourses from media outlets on behavior from the perspective of retirees themselves. Research framed using the focus theory of normative conduct (Cialdini et al., 1990), for example, could examine the relationship between norms and behaviors to bolster the present findings. CONCLUSION Given shifting dynamics, today’s baby boomers are likely to look to media portrayals of retirement and retirees—that is, to societal discourse—as one source of guidance. This study identified three broad themes (each with sub-ideas) in popular discursive representations of retirement in the United States based on analysis of texts from print media sources. Findings offer insight into messages that may influence how baby boomers think about and enact retirement. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to thank Breanna Allen, Anna Lopatin, and Sebastian Meintel for their assistance with data analysis and Steve Wilson, Patrice Buzzanell, Melanie Morgan, and Melissa Franks for their guidance throughout this project. REFERENCES AARP . ( 2017 ). Media sales: Rates & dates . Retrieved from http://advertise.aarp.org/aarp-advertising-rates/the-magazine?region=1&edition=1 Alliance for Audited Media . ( 2013 ). Average circulation at the top 25 U.S. daily newspapers . 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For example, magazine ads are typically constructed to sell goods or services; newspaper articles are often written to increase newspaper sales or meet editorial expectations. Still, considering these portrayals is important because they offer insight into the kinds of messaging and/or images to which everyday individuals are arguably exposed and, hence, those from which these individuals construct their own understandings of retirement. APPENDIX C Searches yielded the following numbers of articles: WSJ 1,044; NYT 9,526; USA 1,475; and AARP 184. AARP Bulletin is a monthly publication, whereas AARP The Magazine is released bimonthly. Both outlets cover similar content, but differ in length. APPENDIX D These outlets were selected based on having high circulation numbers and regularly including retirement-related content. However, there are noteworthy differences between them in terms of distribution, readership, and so on. For instance, national rate base for AARP The Magazine is 22.5 million of individuals aged 50+ (AARP, 2017). The New York Times reports 3.2 million total print and digital subscribers as of early 2017 (The New York Times Company, 2017). USA Today reports print readership of 3.3 million and circulation of 812,971 (USA Today, 2017). The Wall Street Journal reports a weekend circulation of 1,195,967 (Dow Jones & Company, 2017). APPENDIX E Analysis also identified discourses related to aging in the United States (e.g., aging makes you a more dispensable worker). Although clearly related to the topic of retirement, discursive constructions of age/aging are not the focus of this study and have received thorough treatment elsewhere (e.g., Kessler, Rakoczy, & Staudinger, 2004; Raman et al., 2008; Rozanova, 2010). APPENDIX F According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, a 401(k) plan is “a defined contribution plan where an employee can make contributions from his or her paycheck either before or after-tax, depending on the options offered in the plan (IRS, 2017). The contributions go into a 401(k) account, with the employee often choosing the investments based on options provided under the plan” (401(k)Plan Section, para 1). © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model)
TI - Discourses of Retirement in the United States
JF - Work, Aging and Retirement
DO - 10.1093/workar/way008
DA - 2018-09-25
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/discourses-of-retirement-in-the-united-states-fWOBcING0i
SP - 315
VL - 4
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -