This qualitative, exploratory study examines retirement expectations, retirement realities, and the subjective meanings of work and of retirement among ―leading edge‖ female members of the baby boom cohort. A case-centered research design with a purposive sample was utilized. Thirty female early retirees were recruited for the sample via snowball sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, either in-person or by telephone, using a guided interview schedule incorporating open-ended responses. Narrative thematic analysis was employed utilizing a coding scheme related to domains of interest. The study‘s major findings included that 90% of participants viewed their extensive employment as careers, rather than as supplementary family income; that two-thirds of the sample had experienced career discontinuity for family reasons; that 63% of participants saw their identity as closely bound to their work; and that participants valued productivity, with 53% continuing some workforce participation, and 57% providing caregiving for family members
","abstract_html":"<p>This qualitative, exploratory study examines retirement expectations, retirement realities, and the subjective meanings of work and of retirement among ―leading edge‖ female members of the baby boom cohort. A case-centered research design with a purposive sample was utilized. Thirty female early retirees were recruited for the sample via snowball sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, either in-person or by telephone, using a guided interview schedule incorporating open-ended responses. Narrative thematic analysis was employed utilizing a coding scheme related to domains of interest. The study‘s major findings included that 90% of participants viewed their extensive employment as careers, rather than as supplementary family income; that two-thirds of the sample had experienced career discontinuity for family reasons; that 63% of participants saw their identity as closely bound to their work; and that participants valued productivity, with 53% continuing some workforce participation, and 57% providing caregiving for family members</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fulghum, Fontaine H."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Bryn Mawr only","degree_discipline":"Social Work and Social Research","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:23:36Z","subjects":["Social Work"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.brynmawr.edu/dissertations/37","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fulghum, Fontaine H."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Social Work and Social Research"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Bryn Mawr only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Social Work"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.brynmawr.edu/dissertations/37"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative, exploratory study examines retirement expectations, retirement realities, and the subjective meanings of work and of retirement among ―leading edge‖ female members of the baby boom cohort. A case-centered research design with a purposive sample was utilized. Thirty female early retirees were recruited for the sample via snowball sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, either in-person or by telephone, using a guided interview schedule incorporating open-ended responses. Narrative thematic analysis was employed utilizing a coding scheme related to domains of interest. The study‘s major findings included that 90% of participants viewed their extensive employment as careers, rather than as supplementary family income; that two-thirds of the sample had experienced career discontinuity for family reasons; that 63% of participants saw their identity as closely bound to their work; and that participants valued productivity, with 53% continuing some workforce participation, and 57% providing caregiving for family members
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