Introduction

This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in Part 5 of this book. The part portrays the evolution of retirement to the status of a socially accepted right with increasingly uniform rules and provisions for income maintenance. It explores the question of personal and social values, pointing out that retirement calls for a complete shift in roles for which there is not an adequate definition in wholly work-oriented cultures. The part provides a global view of attitudes and trends in retirement and pension policies and practices. It discusses how personal and social values can be reflected in the provisions of pension policies and of the probable effects of pension policies on the decisions of older workers. The part examines the effects of the United Kingdom’s long-term efforts to achieve statutory provisions that will harmonize the interests and needs of the workers, the employers, the economy, and the society.