The Life Stories of Older Widows - Situating Later Life Widowhood Within the Life Course

Abstract

Widowhood in later life, an expected life course transition for older women, is generally presented in the literature as a homogenous ‘problem’ of old age, a time of unhappiness, loneliness and decline. The bulk of the research has been quantitative and has been carried out within two years of the death of the spouse, during a time in which some women are still coming to terms with loss. Little attention has been paid to the ongoing experience of widowhood, despite the fact that an older woman may spend many years as a widow. Furthermore, widowhood has been treated as an entity in itself rather than an integral part of older women’s lives. This paper suggests that by using a biographical approach, which engages older women in the research process, it is possible to look at widowhood through a different lens: one, which acknowledges both the multiplicity of experiences and relationships that older women bring to this time of their lives and the diversity therein. Drawing on a series of unstructured interviews with older widows from Stockport, the paper suggests that the use of a biographical approach, underpinned by feminist gerontology, provides us with a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of the multi-faceted experience of later life widowhood from the perspective of older widows themselves

Similar works

This paper was published in University of Huddersfield Repository.

Having an issue?

Is data on this page outdated, violates copyrights or anything else? Report the problem now and we will take corresponding actions after reviewing your request.