Centre for Policy on Ageing



Life course effects of early parental loss among very old African Americans
Author(s)	Colleen L Johnson, Barbara M Barer
Journal title	Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol 57B, no 2, March 2002
Pages	pp S108-S116
Keywords	Black people ; Octogenarians ; Life span ; Adjustment ; Death ; Parents ; United States of America.
Annotation	Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were used with a sample of 109 respondents aged 85+, in this analysis of life course effects of the early loss of one or both parents of very old Black Americans. Those who lost a parent through death or desertion were less integrated into family and friendship groups in late life, and they had fewer social resources in general. Qualitative data describe three outcomes in the sample: those who grew up with both parents present; those who lost a parent but still reported a contented childhood; and those with disrupted families and negative effects. The respondents' open-ended commentary about their past lives and their current situation enhances understanding of connections between early life events and adaptation in old age. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-020614213 A
Classmark	TKE: BBM: BG6: DR: CW: SR: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.