Women and retirement: Relinquishing professional identity

Twenty-eight interviews were conducted with a sample of 14 retired professi onal women with continuous work histories. Life history data about the mean ing of retirement and the relationship of retirement to issues of identity were collected. By using the grounded theory method, the investigator ident ified a common theme experienced among the women interviewed: the sacrifici ng of one's professional identity following retirement, the loss of social contacts, the loss of professional challenges, and encountering stereotypes during retirement. Data from this study indicate women with continuous wor k histories may enter retirement with apparent ease, yet experience difficu lty adjusting to the loss of their professional role. Further research inve stigating the transition for women from professional status to retirement s tatus is needed.