FROM ROLE EXIT TO MEANING RECONSTRUCTION: THE GENERATIVE MECHANISMS OF ‘POST-RETIREMENT’ SOCIAL ISOLATION AND INTERVENTION PATHWAYS

Author: Mohamed Buheji

ABSTRACT

Retirement, as an institutional turning point in the life course, frequently triggers a systemic contraction of social networks. This paper distinguishes between social isolation as an objective state and loneliness as a subjective experience, reviews the multifactorial determinants of post-retirement isolation risk, and critically examines the evidence base and limitations of current intervention strategies. The core argument is that effective anti-isolation practice must move beyond the simple logic of “increasing contact” toward a “role substitution” paradigm oriented toward meaning reconstruction and restoration of agency. The paper concludes by proposing a multilevel, personalized, participatory intervention framework and identifies cultural adaptation and mechanism testing as priority areas for future research.

Keywords: retirement transition; social isolation; loneliness; role substitution; personalized intervention

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