ABSTRACT
Identity in contemporary culture is closely connected with work and occupation. What kind of identity work do people conduct in retirement? This chapter is based on a conversational study with about 60 retired people, with some supplementary material from blogs. Taking a narrative approach, it was found that some people are keen on telling stories about how their identity was before retirement, where others wish only to talk about recent developments in their identity. There is a blended approach, where the retired person is willing to make use of past experience or status to gain an interesting learning opportunity. It is argued that the continuing development of a life narrative is as important to retired people as it is at earlier stages of life. The chapter also argues that awareness of the different ways of developing identity stories in retirement would be of value to retired people, to those who prepare people for retirement and to those who are considering retirement, as well as shedding light on the study of identity at earlier stages of life when development is assumed to be always upward.
