Staying engaged : a qualitative study of the pursuits and desired of senior citizens after retirement

Retirement, often seen as a peaceful stage of life, depends on how retirees utilize their time meaningfully. This study explores the activities and desires of retirees in Kuching, Sarawak, through 8 semi-structured interviews with Chinese respondents aged 65 to 86. The researchers adopted thematic a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nathan H.K Wong, Hon, Kai Yee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universiti Malaysia Sabah 2024
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Online Access:https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42762/1/FULL%20TEXT.pdf
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Summary:Retirement, often seen as a peaceful stage of life, depends on how retirees utilize their time meaningfully. This study explores the activities and desires of retirees in Kuching, Sarawak, through 8 semi-structured interviews with Chinese respondents aged 65 to 86. The researchers adopted thematic analysis as our approach, and social interactions emerged as a significant element in the current study. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and reshaped the efforts related to social engagements. Despite economic activities, monetary gain is not a top priority; instead, retirees find satisfaction in artistic and cultural endeavors, prompting further inquiry. Our study also uncovers retirees' longings, revealing a desire for external support driven by empathy and a yearning for cultural experiences, indicating a desire to preserve cultural heritage. These findings lay a foundation for tailored activities for retirees and merit further investigation especially after retirement.