Socialization for Impending Death in a Retirement Village

Abstract

Sociologists and gerontologists have frequently noted that the necesity for learning new social roles continues throughout the life cycle. Thus, Riley et al. (1969) argue that, in addition to myriad small adjustements, "major adjustments are also required as the occupational role gives way to one of leisure-in-retirement; as the combined roles of spouse-and-parent shift, after the children leave home, to the role of spouse without parental responsibilities, and later to widowhood; as relationships to descendant kin proliferate to grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and numerous in-laws; and as preparation is made for ultimate death." This paper focuses on the last of these "major adjustments"-"preparation... for ultimate death"-and argues that congregate living facilities can provide optimal settings for this form of socialization. It views a retirement village as a relatively "non-total" (Goffman 1961) "people-processing institution" in which residents themselves devise means for their collective socialization for impending death. I Suggest that we can learn from this setting about the conditions favorable to successful socialization.

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