Sökande efter mening och identitet - upplevelser i samband med pensionering
En explorativ studie med pensionärers egna berättelser som grund.
RetirementSearchingMeaningful activitiesIdentityPensioneringSökandeMeningsfull sysselsättningIdentitet
This is a qualitative study aiming to examine peoples? experiences when retiring. In that purpose a criteria based sample has been used, participants have been asked in that they fulfilled the criteria?s to be a retiree within the age of 65 to 71 years of age. The reason of the age criteria was that the experiences should not be so far away in time. Data has been collected through 11 semi-structured interviews which has been recorded and transcribed ongoing during the collecting of data. Thematic analysis was used as a method of analysis under the premise that it is a flexible method which leaves room for interpretation if adequate depth exists in the material. Four overall themes emerged through the analysis, these are life changes, to leave work, demands changes and last chapter ? hope or despair. The themes are founded in retirees? own stories about their experiences and describes de different aspects of retiring which the respondents has gone through. A deeper analysis of the result gave that the central factors of the experiences is about searching for meaningful activities as a replacement for work and thereby finding a sense of meaning in life. It is also about searching for identity in the new role as a retiree. All together is a lack of meaning in life and uncertainty regarding the own identity reasons for experiencing existential anxiety, coping strategies are used to restore the imbalance sprung from retiring. With this in mind the process is also run through by a positive feeling of freedom in the new situation of being a retiree. The study finishes by proposing future research and applications, there underlying causes for the differences in the experiences and the production of a model over the process in retiring are the main proposals.