Alienation and Age: A Coniexi.Specific Approach*

ABSTRACT A context-specific conceptualization of alienation is used to describe age-group differences. Traditionally, alienation has been treated in terms of specific, modes (e.g., powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, social isolation, self-estrangement). This research adds to each of these modes social structural contexts (e.g., polity, economy, education, religion, family) to produce a matrix of context-specific alienation. Age-group differentials on specific components of alienation are examined in a three-generation sample. The postulate that alienation is related to position in the social structure leads to the hypothesis that there is a curvilinear relation between alienation and age, the youth most alienated, the middle-aged least, and the elderly in between. The hypothesis is generally supported

Capitalizing and Compensating: Older Adults’ Religious and Spiritual Uses of Technology

This study explores how older adults use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their spiritual and religious lives. How widespread is their use? What kinds of ICTS do they use and for what reasons? What impact do they have on their religious and spiritual lives? We explored these questions by collecting interviews with 90 older adults, average age 77, from six major Judeo-Christian faith traditions. The sample was developed from nominations by pastors, priests, and rabbis in three southern California cities. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed through abductive analysis. Many older adults in our sample reported using ICTs to assist their devotional lives—nine in ten of our participants provided examples, thus dispelling technology as merely a tool for the young to incorporate into their religious lives. An unexpected finding of the research was the wide variety of ICT usage mentioned by these elderly participants —over 15 distinct ones were mentioned.  The reasons for using ICTs fell into two primary categories: compensating for age related changes and capitalizing on unique opportunities for growth in later life. The results demonstrate support for Carstensen’s Socio-Emotional Selectivity Theory and have implications for practitioners working with older adults, such as social workers and clergy, as well as for marketers in industry

Visions in monochrome: Families, marriage and the individualisation thesis

This paper takes issue with the way in which the individualisation thesis – in which it is assumed that close relationships have become tenuous and fragile - has become so dominant in ‘new’ sociological theorising about family life. Although others have criticised this thesis, in this paper the main criticism derives from empirical research findings carried out with members of transnational families living in Britain whose values and practices do not fit easily with ideas of individualisation. It is argued that we need a much more complex and less linear notion of how families change across generations and in time

Bridging Alone: Religious Conservatism, Marital Homogamy, and Voluntary Association Membership

This study characterizes social insularity of religiously conservative American married couples by examining patterns of voluntary associationmembership. Constructing a dataset of 3938 marital dyads from the second wave of the National Survey of Families and Households, the author investigates whether conservative religious homogamy encourages membership in religious voluntary groups and discourages membership in secular voluntary groups. Results indicate that couples’ shared affiliation with conservative denominations, paired with beliefs in biblical authority and inerrancy, increases the likelihood of religious group membership for husbands and wives and reduces the likelihood of secular group membership for wives, but not for husbands. The social insularity of conservative religious groups appears to be reinforced by homogamy—particularly by wives who share faith with husbands

Longitudinal Study of Generations and Mental Health, 1971-1997

The purpose of this ongoing longitudinal panel study of aging parents and their families was to investigate changes in family intergenerational social supports and their impact on individual mental health. The study also explored how the mental health of individual family members changes over time (using four longitudinal sequences with multiple cohorts), and how psychological well-being, changes within each generation, cultural environment and genetic endowment influence individual mental health. Initiated in 1971, the study began with a sample of 345 multi-generation families followed at five timepoints occurring in 1971-1972, 1984-1985, 1988-1990, 1991,1994, and 1997. The project originally began as a cross-sectional study of three-generational families, examining the effects of intergenerational similarities and conflicts on mental health. Data were collected from 2,044 respondents at Time 1 (1971-1972), 1,331 respondents at Time 2 (1984-1985), 1,483 respondents at Time 3 (1988); 1,734 respondents at Time 4 (1991), and 1,682 respondents at Time 5 (1994). At Time 4, Time 5, and Time 6, a new cohort of Generation 4 (great grandchildren) family members was added consisting of 116 females and 82 males and averaging 20 years of age. The generational cohorts followed comprised of a grandparent (later great-grandparent) generation (G1), a parent (later grandparent generation) generation (G2), an grandchild (later parent) generation (G3), and finally a great grandchild generation (G4). Variables assessed focused on demographic, sociological, psychological, health, and familial relations for grandparents (G1); parents (G2); grandchildren (G3); great grandchildren (G4). The Murray Research Archive holds numeric file data from the Time 1 survey and from the Time 2, Time 3, Time 4, and time 5 questionnaires for grandparents (G1), parents (G2), grandchildren (G3), and great grandchildren (G4) at Times 4 and 5. Data collected from each timepoint is restricted from use for six years after the time of data collection. Thus, data from Time 1 (1971-1972) became available for public use in 1976-1977, and data from Time 2 (1985) became available for public use in 1991. Data from Time 6 are not available at this time

Does intergenerational social support influence the psychological well-being of older parents? The contingencies of declining health and widowhood

This study investigates whether social support from adult children improves the psychological well-being of elderly parents. Support is studied as a direct influence on emotional distress and as a moderator of the distressing consequences of health problems and widowhood. Research questions are addressed using data from elderly parents participating in 1985 and 1988 surveys of the U.S.C., Longitudinal Study of Three Generation Families. Results from multiple regression analyses indicate that instrumental and expressive forms of social support are weakly related to 3-year change in positive and negative aspects of psychological well-being. However, both types of support moderate declines in well-being associated with poor health and widowhood. We conclude that the psychological benefits of intergenerational social support are contingent on the vulnerability of the older parent, when expectations for assistance are at their greatest. This finding has considerable implications for family theory and policy.Social support psychological well-being aging families

Family characteristics and loneliness among older parents

Loneliness among older people is an intriguing issue in aging research, pol­ icy, and practice. Many disciplinary perspectives and approaches have been used in an attempt to understand and explain well-being and loneli­ ness among older adults. Dykstra (1990), with reference to House and Kahn (1985), found three approaches in the study of the association between types of relationships and well-being with loneliness as a component of an overall measure of well-being: (a) the social integration approach, (b) the social network approach, and (c) the social support approach. In the social integration approach the focus is on the existence of relationships such as marital relationship, availability of family members or friends, and mem­ berships in church or volunteer associations. Researchers in the social net­ work tradition examine the structure of the relationships in which individuals are embedded. Their hypothesis is that the structure and com­ position of the network have an impact on the pattern of interactions and flow of resources within the network with consequences on well-being. Within the social support approach, researchers focus on what is provided to an individual by others (i.e., emotional or instrumental support) and how this is appreciated. Each of these traditional approaches has been pro­ ductive in understanding well-being and loneliness among older people (Dykstra, 1990; de Jong Gierveld and Tilburg, 1995)