Discourses of retirement in the United States

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" babyboomer retiree, which may represent contradictory or even impossible expectations for many retiring boomers.