Retirement in American Society

Streib and Schneider's 1971 Cornell University Press study was one of the first major empirical works to push back on the prevailing 'disengagement theory' of aging with actual longitudinal data. By tracking real workers through the transition out of the workforce and measuring the effects on health, income, psychological adjustment, and social participation, they gave gerontological research a firmer empirical footing that shaped the field for decades. The honest caveat: this is a specialized academic text written for sociologists and policy researchers, not a general audience read. The data reflects 1960s America and the statistical and methodological framing will feel dated. Its value today is largely historical — understanding where retirement research came from rather than where it currently stands. For the academic reader, it remains a genuinely foundational citation.