Aging & Social Change: Tenth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Why is it that life in retirement remains rushed for many, despite a lack of participation in the paid labor force? This study examines the puzzling phenomenon of post-retirement time scarcity using a mixed methods approach: data come from MTUS (N=15,390) in combination with long-term participant observation (980 hours) and in-depth interviews (N=53). I show that post-retirement in Canada, the number of minutes of leisure time per day and/or number of hours worked per week do not adequately capture the lived experience of time scarcity. Although time scarcity levels appear to be similar in the quantitative data by socioeconomic status in older ages, the social determinants of time scarcity are markedly different for the classes. These differing sources lead to divergent cultural repertoires surrounding the phenomena, translating to dissimilar blueprints for action and differing consequences for well-being. This paper underscores the importance of contextual factors when it comes to how peer networks shape the cultural repertoires of time scarcity in retirement. The focus on time as a network good provides a new perspective when it comes to how socioeconomic differences influence the quality of life in early retirement. The final section of the article offers an analysis and interpretation of these results, putting time scarcity in conversation with the broader literature on socioeconomic status and well-being. I conclude that continued focus on relating stratification processes with the lived experience of time is necessary for understanding the links between the micro and macro levels of these phenomena.