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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The myth of independence for older Americans living alone in the Bay Area of San Francisco
— a critical reflection | | Author(s) | Elena Portacolone |
| Journal title | Ageing and Society, vol 31, part 5, July 2011 |
| Pages | pp 803-828 |
| Source | http://www.journals.cambridge.org/aso |
| Keywords | Living alone ; Independence ; Over 70s ; Attitude ; Social ethics ; Theory ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | In the United States, over five million citizens aged 75 and over live alone. Remaining at home in older age is generally considered a sign of independence and therefore an important achievement. However it can also bring out hardships hardly visible to outsiders, especially in an individualistic society such as the United States that rewards self-sufficiency. The purpose of this study was to look at how discourses around living alone, freedom and independence are translated into the everyday experiences of 22 older adults aged over 75 living alone in the San Francisco Bay area. Participant observation and in-depth interviews highlight how being independent can be an essential component of individual identities, although every circumstance is different. While some participants stated that they enjoyed independence, others simply tolerated it because it was part of their make-up. Their narratives shed light on the impact of policies that facilitate or regulate the moral imperative of independence. The findings highlight the need to evaluate how discourses around independence are translated into individual cases, and to promote further studies and initiatives on interdependence. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-110721005 A |
| Classmark | K8: C3: BBK: DP: TQ: 4D: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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