But the tendency to keep working goes well beyond maintaining a title and paycheck, says Dorfman, a professor in the School of Social Work and director of the Aging Studies Program. Academics, she says, lead a dual role, often defining themselves as much by their scholarly pursuits and research as by their official employment title. For this reason, the process of retiring from academia can be especially traumatic. One person told me that he couldn't ever stop doing his work. Although the mandatory retirement age was uncapped in 1994 and people tend to work longer in academia than other professions, sooner or later a separation will have to occur.
Fields change and it's difficult to keep up.
With this inevitable event in mind, Dorfman compiled the data for her book, which is based on more than a decade of interviews at American and British universities. In the United States, Dorfman approached professors at The University of Iowa and Drake University, as well as Augustana, Coe, and Cornell colleges. Dorfman's research involved already retired academics as well as others preparing for retirement. The book uses direct transcription from more than 400 interviews to provide insight into issues ranging from where retirees choose to live, to activity patterns during retirement, to what to expect when the moment arrives. For example, by setting up a tea.