Understanding occupational transitions: A study of older rural men’s retirement experiences

This article reports selected findings of a life history study, which utilised both focus group and individual interviews to explore the retirement experience of eight older rural men. Analysis from an occupational perspective pointed to occupational adaptation as a theoretical framework through which to understand their experiences, providing a basis for conceptualizing the naturalistic strategies utilized by the men who participated in the study as they moved into retirement within the very particular physical and sociocultural context of rural Australia. Based on selected findings, the authors suggest that occupational adaptation may be a particularly salient framework through which to understand how well populations cope with the challenges associated with occupational transitions across the lifespan.