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Understanding the Family Lives of Older Adults
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Copyright Year | 2000 |
| Abstract | Family gerontologists focus on understanding the social ties of older adults, particularly their family relationships. In contrast to the common belief that older people are isolated from family members and friends, family gerontologists have shown that older persons have rich and varied social lives. Maturity in adulthood is often described as determined by one’s capacity for love and for work. Middleand later-life adults exhibit tremendous capacity for both. Family gerontologists have illustrated how work—both paid and unpaid— remains pivotal for shaping aging adults’ identities and ties with others. Older persons’ participation in social relations and their engagement in productive work create a context that enhances their visions of themselves and their world. In this reader, we explore ways in which older persons construct a sense of identity, build positive family relationships, and pursue purposeful work—just as younger people do. Any discussion about families in later life must include an explanation of what we mean by family. As we explore the everyday family lives of aging people, we demonstrate that narrow definitions of family do not capture the diverse ways that people relate as family members. Traditionally, families have been conceived of as persons related by blood or marriage living in the same household. As you will see in Part I, our definition is more broadly conceptualized. We highlight the interdependence of older people. By interdependence, we mean the way their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are intricately connected with those of others. We accept as family those persons who are bound by ties of marriage, blood, or commitment, legal or otherwise, who consider themselves a family. Although we pay particular attention to family relationships, we do so with sensitivity to the broader contexts within which older people live. Family gerontology is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses anthropology, demography, family studies, history, psychology, sociology, and other areas. Each of these disciplines provides an important lens through which to view the broader context of aging people and their family ties. For example, an older woman’s retirement experience is shaped not only by her individual talents (an emphasis in psychology) but also by the quality of her marital relationship (family |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/2754_walkerch1.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
