Abstract
Retirement and Family Transitions in Later Life
Shiro Furuya, PhD
This project examines the associations of retirement with the union formation and dissolution in middle-aged and older adults. As the Baby Boomers, who divorced at higher rate than previous cohorts and continue to do so as they age, has become old, older people in the contemporary United States are more likely to experience union formation and dissolution than in the past. Given that work plays a central role in the theoretical frameworks of marital/union formation and dissolution, this project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between retirement and union transitions, including both formation and dissolution of marriage and cohabitation, in later life. Specifically, this project will (1) assess the associations of retirement with union transitions, (2) investigation the causation in this association, and (3) extend the scope to populations outside of the United States. To address these aims, I will analyze data from the Health and Retirement Study and its international sister studies, such as the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement for the Continental Europe, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing for England, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study for China, and the Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement for Japan.