PERCEPTIONS OF ADJUSTMENT TO CIVILIAN LIFE AMONG RECENTLY RETIRED AIR FORCE ...

555 Pages·2004·1.14 MB·English

ABSTRACT
Title of dissertation: PERCEPTIONS OF ADJUSTMENT TO
CIVILIAN LIFE AMONG RECENTLY
RETIRED AIR FORCE OFFICERS
Ruth C. Yanos, Doctor of Philosophy, 2004
Dissertation directed by: Professor Elizabeth Robertson-Tchabo
Department of Human Development
This study explored the perceptions of recently retired Air Force officers
and their wives of their adjustment to civilian life and their general well-being
through in-depth personal interviews. The assumptions for this study were that
military officers will require considerable time for the transition to retirement,
personal identity will be disrupted due to the loss of the work role and general
well-being will be negatively affected by the transition to retirement.
The notion of “on-time” retirement in the United States is based on age
related criteria, with most retirees being age sixty-five years. Most retirees do not
seek full-time employment at retirement. Their transition to retirement is usually
complete within a three year period. Military retirees represent a unique group of
individuals whose retirement age may begin as early as forty-two years. These
individuals must transition to a new work setting within a culture that is
unfamiliar to them.
A multidimensional model of adjustment to retirement was developed.
The model considers retirement to be a precipitating event and addresses changes
in the domains of Economic Impact, Social Support, Identity Reconstruction, and
Physical and Mental Health. Identity Reconstruction and Mental Health
represented the area of greatest challenge. A new positive self schema had to be
developed by synthesizing the new civilian self with the military self. This was
viewed through civilian employment, role in the civilian community and perceived
civilian social status versus status as a military officer. Inconsistencies between
the officer’s perception of identity reconstruction and the spouse’s perception of
this reconstruction were evident. All three individuals experienced great difficulty
in reconstructing an identity for the civilian sector. Mental Health considered
psychological disorders and alcohol and tobacco consumption. The Bradburn
Affect Balance Scale (Bradburn, 1969), a psychological measure of general well-
being was used as a measure of mental health. This was correlated with the
individual’s perception of their happiness five years prior to retirement.
This study, though limited in participants, was able to support the
hypotheses for this research. The richness of the interviews provided an in-depth
view of the transition to retirement for military officers.
PERCEPTIONS OF TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE AMONG
RECENTLY RETIREDAIR FORCE OFFICERS
by
Ruth C. Yanos
Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
2004
Advisory Committee:
Professor Elizabeth Robertson-Tchabo
Professor Charles Flatter
Professor Emeritus Albert Gardner
Professor Harry Green
Professor Daniel Leviton
©Copyright by
Ruth C. Yanos
2004
i
DEDICATION
This dissertation is dedicated to my family and friends for their support and
encouragement over these many years and to my friends who lent a shoulder to
lean on when the going got tough and everything seemed insurmountable. Above
all, this dedication is to a teacher who made a difference in my life, Mrs. Edith
Godick. She stressed the importance of the written word and the value of
continued education. Mrs. Godick once told me that I should learn to write well
as I could read the classics later and I have never forgotten those words. It is
now time to read the classics. Even though it has been over thirty years since I
heard those words, it is by those words that I have lived my life in pursuit of a
goal that I set for myself many years ago.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter I - Introduction.............................................................................1
Phenomenon of Interest....................................................................1
Perceived Justification for Studying the Phenomenon........................1
Phenomenon Discussed within a Specific Context............................1
On Time Retirement...........................................................1
Military Retirement.............................................................3
Phenomenon of Military Retirement....................................9
Theoretical Perspective for Research Methodology ........................10
Qualitative Research Method……………………………………….12
Emergent Themes............................................................................15
Limitations ......................................................................................16
Chapter II Review of Literature…….........................................................18
Retirement as a Normative Life Event………………………………19
Age Related Retirement....................................................................22
Military Retirement...........................................................................25
Coping With the Effects of Retirement................................39
Affects of Retirement on Military Officer’s Wives……….. .40
iii
Retirement Planning & Programs...........................................46
Experiential Context............................................................................52
Theoretical Context.............................................................................55
Retirement Adaptation Theories............................................55
Norman Bradburn..................................................................58
Daniel Levinson.....................................................................63
Chapter III – Methodology…………………………………………………..67
Research Design…………………………………………………….....67
Participants..........................................................................................71
Instruments..........................................................................................72
Procedure............................................................................................79
Data Analysis.......................................................................................91
Chapter IV Findings....................................................................................252
Chapter V. Conclusions & recommendations...............................................443
Appendix A – Officer Interview Form..........................................................518
Appendix B – Disclosure Form……………………………………………...541
Appendix C – Wives Interview Form……………………………………......542
Appendix D – Glossary……………………………………………………....543
References…………………………………………………………………....545
1
Chapter I
Introduction
Phenomenon of Interest
The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of recently retired
Air Force officers and their wives of their adjustment to civilian life and of their
general well being through in-depth personal interviews. The assumptions for this
study are: 1) military officers will have an increased length of time for the
transition to retirement 2) personal identity will be disrupted due to loss of work
role 3) general well-being will be negatively affected by the transition to
retirement.
Perceived Justification for Studying the Phenomenon
A review of the literature on military retirement and specifically military
officers’ retirement revealed little published research in this area. Only one article
was found that that described research on Air Force officer’s adaptation to
retirement.
Phenomenon Discussed within a Specific Context
On Time Retirement
In the United States, age sixty-five years is considered the traditional age
for retirement (Howard, et al. 1982) with a range of sixty to seventy years. It is
estimated that 2,356,000 individuals may have retired between the years 1990
2
and 1992. This is based on the number of individuals who were eligible to receive
Social Security at age 62 years (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1994). Retirement in
a general sense can be defined as the time when paid employment ceases along
with a withdrawal from the workforce. Retirement is further affected by personal
and social factors such as physical and mental health, finances, activity level and
social interaction (Reis & Gold, 1993); self identity, relationships with family and
friends, daily activities, financial status, and living arrangements (Hornstein and
Wapner, 1985); finances, physical and mental health, self esteem, and life
satisfaction (Palmore, Fillenbaum & George, 1984), and behaviors that result in
changes in activity and a decrease in social interaction (Havighurst, Neugarten &
Tobin, 1968). This new stage in life typically becomes a period of reduced
income due to withdrawal from the workforce and a period of constructive use of
leisure time (McNeil, Lecca & Wright, 1983; Strange, 1984). The factors that
influence the time of retirement for civilians come from both internal and external
forces. Internally, the issue of health is a major factor for many individuals when
considering the timing of their retirement (Beck, 1982). Age also may be a factor
as well as family financial factors, spouse's participation in the work force and
postretirement options (Hanks, 1990). Externally, company restructuring may
force retirement (Hanks, 1990; Beck, 1982). There also may be incentive
programs that allow individuals to choose an early retirement without loss of