Unanticipated consequences: a comparison of expected and actual retirement timing among older women

The present study adds to the growing body of literature on women and retirement by means of a comparative analysis of the factors associated with anticipated retirement timing (among pre-retirees) and actual retirement timing (among retirees). Adopting a political economy of aging perspective, we argue that socially-structured patterns of gender inequality related to women's multiple roles across the life course affect patterns of retirement timing. Specifically, we hypothesize that the gendered nature of women's work-retirement decision-making is unanticipated during pre-retirement years. Logistic regression analyses are performed on data drawn from a sample of 275 women aged 45 and older living in the Vancouver area of British Columbia. A central finding is that while actual timing of retirement is affected by family caregiving responsibilities and by health/stress factors, pre-retirees do not perceive these to be important in their own expected retirement timing. Implications for social policy, education, and women's financial and psychological well-being in old age are elaborated.     

Promoting older women's health and well-being through social leisure environments: what we have learned from the Red Hat Society

The purpose of this study was to describe the ways that participation in a leisure organization contributed to the health and wellbeing of middle-aged and older women. We analyzed 1,693 members' responses to a query about meaningful experiences garnered through participation in the Red Hat Society. Results suggested that older women's lives have been enriched and changed by their experiences, with the women in this study citing multiple psychosocial health benefits from their participation in the Red Hat Society. Main themes encapsulating these health benefits were creating happy moments, responding to transitions and negative events, and enhancing the self. These findings are related to research on positive psychology, social support and coping, transformative leisure processes, and social identity formation. We conclude by providing suggestions for applying these findings to leisure and health promotion programming to enhance women's health and well-being in later life.     

Older women of color: a feminist exploration of the intersections of personal, familial and community life

This paper examines the lives of older U.S. women of color who represent racial and ethnic heritages that have a history of unequal access to sources of economic and political power in this country. These women exemplify women with vastly different cultural traditions, but are similar in that they face discrimination as women of color. The combined impact of age, gender, and racial and ethnic background is neglected within our discussions of older women. This paper contributes to our understanding of older women of color by examining the personal, familial, and community aspects of the lives of older women of color. This exploration challenges feminist gerontologists to bring the discussion of this intersection to the center as we explore and seek to comprehend the reality of older women's lives. This scrutiny creates a space for the discussion of both the threats faced by women of color in their unique juncture as old, female, and of color as well as an illumination of the strengths manifested by these women. Further the need to embrace a feminist gerontological framework when practitioners work with these populations is addressed.     

Remarriage in later life: older women's negotiation of power, resources and domestic labor

Using data from in-depth interviews with 24 community-dwelling women aged 52-90, this paper analyzes the remarriage experiences of older women in contrast to their first marital relationships. The women's accounts of their experiences in their first and later life marriages are examined in terms of the negotiation of power, resources, and domestic labor. While first marriages were frequently characterized by incompatibility, alcoholism, abuse, and infidelity, second marriages were viewed as the marriages the women wished they had had in the first place or as relationships that met their later life needs. The women's lived experiences are discussed in terms of the changing cultural norms pertaining to gender roles, marriage, and divorce.     

Retirement for women: the impact of employment

This study compares the retirement experiences of professional and nonprofessional women. The analysis is based on 48 interviews with women ranging in age from 63-83 years. Participants provided personal and occupational histories and described their retirement decisions, transitions, and lives in retirement. The women's retirement experiences differed in five areas: (1) attachment to work, (2) professional identity, (3) social contacts, (4) family roles/obligations, and (5) community involvement. Findings indicate investment in the work role does affect how women transition to retirement as well as how they structure their time in retirement.     

Dimensions of power: older women's experiences with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Older women are particularly prone to being treated for depression, and, despite the controversy surrounding it, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has gained popularity as a treatment with this population. Research has examined the physical and cognitive changes associated with ECT but there is little understanding regarding how older women themselves experience this treatment. In order to gain better understanding into the subjective experience of receiving ECT, this qualitative study explored the experiences of six older women who were treated with ECT for a diagnosis of depression, using in-depth personal interviews. Analysis suggests that this experience for these older women could not be understood in isolation. Rather, their stories highlighted the importance of interpreting the ECT experience within a broader context that included the larger depression experience, the dynamics of helping relationships, and the discourse available to them for sense-making. Specifically, the central theme underpinning all of these women's stories was the shifting of power from themselves to others. This paper examines how this occurred and discusses implications for practice.     

"It ain't all as bad as it may seem": young Black lesbians' responses to sexual prejudice

This article explores the ways in which young, Black lesbians manage their sexual minority identity when experiencing sexual prejudice. Fourteen Black lesbians between the ages of 16 and 24 participated in semistructured interviews. Instances of sexual prejudice and the young women's responses were thematically analyzed using open and axial qualitative coding techniques. Results indicated that participants experienced sexual prejudice frequently and even within the lesbian community. Responses to sexual prejudice included: cognitive reframing of heterosexist messages, passing, gaining support from self-created gay families, and fighting back (physically and verbally) in the event of isolated instances of sexual prejudice. Analysis focuses on how gender identity relates to experiences of sexual prejudice and identity management strategies. Findings suggest that there are parallels between the management strategies of these women and young, Black gay and bisexual males and between these women and Black women who are coping with sexism and racism.     

The Red Hat Society: Exploring the role of play, liminality, and communitas in older women's lives

There is an extensive literature on play. Yet, the role of play in older adults' lives has received limited attention. Strikingly absent is research on play and older women. Missing from the literature is how older women use play as a liminal context for social interaction and communitas. This is odd because by 2030 one in four American women will be over the age of sixty-five. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the roles of play, liminality, and communitas in older women's lives. The focus is the Red Hat Society, a social group for women over age 50 that fosters play and fun. Using qualitative interviews with focus groups and participant observation of a regional Red Hat Society event, the study highlights some of the strengths and weaknesses of current conceptualizations of play, liminality, and communitas.     

Broadening the scope of ageing femininities on TV: the evolution of the older woman in two contemporary Catalan soap operas

The older woman has been an unacknowledged character in fiction up until recently, when it has become the focus of some studies in the interconnected fields of literary and cultural gerontology. Given their popularity, TV shows are especially powerful in the propagation of images of any form of identity; accordingly, they can be regarded as an interesting and highly effective artistic and socio cultural vehicle through which representations of old people and of old women in particular can be analysed and discussed. Despite the success of The Golden Girls in the 80s and the exponential ageing of the baby-boom generation, TV series have also continued to depict older female characters as either motherly figures, always looking after their families at any cost, or as devilish older women characterised by inappropriate sexualised appearance and sexual behaviour. In contrast to this predominant tendency, Six Feet Under (2001–2005) stands out as a significant exception. In this article, we argue that Six Feet Under is innovative in presenting the older woman through the central character of Ruth Fisher (Francis Connor) and through the interaction of Ruth Fisher with other women within her same generation which face ageing from different perspectives.     

The Consequences of Caregiving: Effects on Women’s Employment and Earnings

Caregiving to family members comprises a major part of familial obligations in the United States. Informal caregiving is unevenly distributed in society, with women performing most of the work and bearing the burden of its costs. This paper addresses the cost dimension of informal caregiving to family members by examining whether and how it penalizes women’s employment. Drawing data from the 1987 and 1992 National Survey of Families and Households, we examine whether and how caregiving transitions affect changes in women’s labor force participation and the implications of this caregiving transitions for their earnings. We calculate how these effects vary for demographically different groups of women: those older and younger, with and without high levels of education, and married and not married. Our findings reveal that for most women, the initiation of caregiving led to a substantial reduction in their weekly hours worked and annual earnings. However, the effects were different for various subgroups of women: those older, with fewer skills, and more competing roles paid substantial costs if they began caregiving between 1987 and 1992.     

Tending and befriending: the intertwined relationships of quilters

Using the convoy model of social relations, we explored the contributions of quilting activities to the relationships of middle- and older-aged women in three distinct groups: Amish, Appalachian, and Latter Day Saints. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten women from each group and analyzed qualitatively using McCracken's five-step method for analysis of long interviews. We found that these women had considerable horizontal and vertical connections to others. Specifically, they exhibited generativity by teaching their skills to others, building bonds with grandchildren through quilting, and leaving legacies through their quilts. Many developed friendships with other quilters that provided social support to deal with life challenges. Additional study of the contributions of mid-late life women's leisure activities to their social milieu, personal development, and well-being is needed.     

Older women and family care in Hong Kong: differences in filial expectation and practices

Cultural aspects of aging have great importance on how older women and men are being treated, in particular in Asia where patriarchal practices dominate. Further, changes in the structure of the Chinese family alter this supportive function, and changes in traditional values affect the nature of the care and support provided to older women and men. This proposition was investigated by a quantitative study involving a survey of 390 older persons in Hong Kong. There are great discrepancies in informal support for older women and men. Older women are less likely to live with adult children; more likely to need financial assistance; and more likely to receive poor informal support. There is evidence that informal support for the elderly is changing in Hong Kong, and older women are being disadvantaged, experiencing insufficient and unavailability of informal support.     

Counting women's labour: a reanalysis of children's net production using Cain's data from a Bangladeshi village

The economic contribution of children to their parents' households has long interested demographers because of its potential to influence fertility levels. Valuing children's labour in pre-industrial economies, however, is inherently difficult. The same is true of women's labour, a crucial component of any analysis of net production. Here we use Mead Cain's seminal study (Population and Development Review 3(3): 201-227, 1977) of children's economic contributions in a Bangladeshi village to illustrate these points. We combine Cain's data on landless women's and men's hours of work with data on the efficiency per hour of work from other pre-industrial settings (Mueller, Population and Development: The Search for Selective Interventions. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 98-153, 1976; Kramer, Dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 1998). When women's labour is incorporated, we find that the Bangladeshi children begin to produce as much as they consume by ages 10 (girls) or 11 (boys). Despite these productive contributions, neither women nor men 'pay' for their cumulative consumption until their early 20s. We believe our methods could be usefully applied in other contexts.     

Negating identity: a feminist analysis of the social invisibility of older lesbians

Older lesbians are invisible both within and outside of the lesbian community. Using a postmodern and lesbian feminist approach, in this article we identify a paradox in our society which defines lesbians in terms of their sexuality while older women are generally viewed as asexual. We suggest that this paradox contributes to the invisibility of older lesbians. Our focus is on the interactive nature of the relationship between personal and public constructions of lesbianism in the lives of older women. Finally, we discuss the potential impact of invisibility on self-identity, and using a feminist gerontological framework suggest implications for the empowerment of older lesbians.     

Introduction: the need to address older women's mental health issues

Women are the primary consumers of mental health services. Ironically, research addressing their unique needs lags behind that of men's issues. The aging process introduces an important variable that accentuates the relative lack of information and specific treatment guidelines for older women who are confronted by mental health problems. This volume offers a comprehensive overview for the health professional who is seeking a greater depth of understanding with respect to the study of mental health problems in general, and how these issues pertain specifically to women and the aging process. A second goal of this project is to provide the practicing therapist and counselor with a research update and a broad clinical perspective offered by seasoned clinicians. Using current psychiatric diagnosis as a framework, the contributions address the range of mental health problems, including dementia and cognitive impairment, schizophrenia, alcohol abuse, mood and anxiety disorders, traumatic and dissociative conditions, sexual and eating disorders, and personality disorders. It is hoped that this book will inform, inspire and encourage students and health professionals in their work with middle aged and older women who are facing mental health challenges.     

Treatment decision-making among older women with breast cancer

This study examined breast cancer treatment decision-making among older adults, including professional and lay involvement. Thirty respondents were interviewed for this study; cancer survivors (70%) and newly diagnosed (30%) women with breast cancer. Respondents reported making treatment decisions in consultation with their oncologists. However, women differed on the extent to which they perceived their participation in the treatment process. Respondents' oncologists appear to be the primary factor associated with older women's breast cancer surveillance decision-making and adherence. The influence of women's support systems on their treatment decisions and surveillance activities appears to be minimal. Informal support systems, however, likely enhance women's ability to be active participants in their care. The growing need for interventions which target older women has been indicated. Interventions, however, cannot be adequately developed without first identifying the physical and psychosocial phenomena which affect decision-making.     

The "new gay" lesbians

The three-stage progression toward homosexual identity that Minton and McDonald (1983/1984) delineate in Bisexual and Homosexual Identities (De Cecco & Shively, eds., 1983/1984) is generally not applicable to women who have come to lesbianism through the radical feminist movement of the past 15 years. Their progression toward a lesbian identity was in an order roughly the reverse of what Minton and McDonald describe: Through the movement they came to understand that society's norms can be critically evaluated and that heterosexuality was detrimental to women's freedom, often before they had homosexual genital experience. The "egocentric" stage for these women may have been no different from that of heterosexuals. They may have escaped the guilt and isolation associated with the "sociocentric" stage because they first viewed themselves as lesbian in the context of a supportive social group. There is also some evidence to suggest that many premovement lesbians made their decision to identify as homosexual on the basis of their political views about heterosexuality. Thus, they too may not have experienced Minton and McDonald's three-stage progression toward identity.     

Best friends: the role of confidantes in older women's health

This article explores personal, network, and community contexts in older women's friendships and health. Twenty-six older women (mean age, 67; range 55-85 years) in San Francisco were asked to choose the one individual to whom they felt the closest and then discuss how this individual contributed to their health. Their choices were numerous, diverse, contextual, and circumstantial. Other women were chosen most often; however, this belies the complexity of their choices. Confidants were chosen primarily for expressive reasons, but instrumental reasons proved important too, particularly for lower class women. Older women called upon their closest ties with physical, social, and emotional problems; they were less likely to call upon them with mental, financial, or spiritual concerns. Family members were preferred to friends for direct caregiving; however, some older women felt they would call upon their friends as well. Confidants kept older women healthy by offering advice and encouragement about diet and exercise; by providing meals and transportation; by laughing, talking, and joking with them; by keeping them happy and feeling good about themselves; and, on rare occasions, by offering spiritual guidance. Practical and policy considerations of their choices were discussed.     

Religion in the Lives of Older Women Serving Life in Prison

This exploratory qualitative study examined the roles of religiousness in the lives of 21 older women (mean age = 63) serving life sentences in one southern state. Based on survey and focus group methodology, several themes emerged as important focal points, including early religious experiences prior to incarceration, imprisonment and religious doubt, participation in formal and informal religious activities, and use of religion in coping with stressors such as interpersonal relationships, trauma, and health statuses. Irrespective of their religious upbringing, all participants agreed that religiosity/spirituality played a key role in their ability to cope with their prison experience as well as for maintaining hope and the opportunity for release.     

Care arrangement choices for older widows: decision participants' perspectives

This research examines how a wide range of care arrangement decisions for frail older women are made. Interviews were conducted with 11 older women (ten of whom are widows), nine of their family members, and six professional service providers. Maintaining the older woman's independence was identified as a major theme. While all decision participants identified it as an explicit or implicit decision-making goal, their meanings of independence were different. The older women's meanings were flexible, changing in response to changes in their physical condition and need for assistance. Adult children tended to identify their mothers as independent when they did not actually need assistance, or when they received help from other sources (e.g., home health care). Professional service providers were inclined to define independence narrowly, as avoiding nursing home placement. Minor themes associated with independence include responsibility, reciprocity, and the family's importance in maintaining independence. These themes help to clarify the complex dynamics that take place during care arrangement decisions and explain how care arrangement choices are made.