In all Western countries, people are retiring earlier than ever before, and people are living longer, thus prolonging the length of retirement. What are the effects of this phenomenon on society in general and on the labor force, and what are the psychological effects on retirees? Time for Retirement addresses the "aging of society" and the restructuring of the life course in terms of the changing relationship between work and retirement. Practically, it assesses the range of possible political answers to this process, with a comparative analysis of different national regimes.

There have been major shifts in the framework of social policy and welfare across Europe. Adopting a multi-level, comparative and interdisciplinary approach, this book develops a critical analysis of policy change and welfare reform in Europe. The book applies a dynamic and change-oriented perspective to shed light on policy changes that are often poorly understood in the welfare literature, and contributes to a further development of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks for understanding social change. Several dimensions of change are analyzed simultaneously: changes in the discipline...