Satisfaction with Retirement: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis with Social Network Analysis

Abstract Satisfaction with any aspect of life is not easy to defined, and sometimes, it is still a topic of discussion. That is especially relevant for more excluded populations like older people. This research looked into how relevant the social support networks (SSNs) of older people are for their satisfaction with retirement, specifically in the Chilean context. It will identify some sufficient and necessary conditions for older people to be satisfied with retirement. This research focuses on 30 life histories of older people in Santiago, Chile. They were asked about their histories and SSNs. The analysis applied used a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) with conditions from the Social Network Analysis (SNA). The results identify sufficient and necessary conditions to achieve satisfaction with retirement. It is highlighted some of the dimensions of SSNs and their reciprocities as relevant conditions for satisfaction with retirement.