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Strong and Enduring Ties: Older Women and Their Friends

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Hazel MacRae
Hazel MacRae
Affiliation:
Mount Saint Vincent University
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Abstract

This paper examines friendship in later life, drawing upon data obtained from in-depth interviews conducted with a sample of 142 elderly women who were living in a small town in Atlantic Canada. The nature and meaning of friendship in later life is examined from the perspective of the elderly woman. The data indicate that most respondents have a substantial number of friends and differentiate between different types of friends: ‘friends’ and ‘close friends,’ ‘old friends’ and those acquired more recently. Focusing attention on the concepts of self-identity and reciprocity, an attempt is made to explain why older people might more highly value their old friends than those acquired more recently.

Résumé

Cet article examine l'amitié dans les dernières années de l a vie et repose sur les données obtenues par des entrevues en profondeur de 152 aînées d'une petite ville des Maritimes. On examine la nature et la signification de l'amitié dans les dernières années de la vie, selon le point du vue de femmes âgées. Les résultats indiquent que la plupart des personnes interrogées ont un nombre important d'amis et qu'elles font la distinction entre «amis», «amis proches», «amis de longue date» et «amis récents». Tout en insistent sur la notion d'actualisation de soi et de réciprocité, on tente d'expliquer pourquoi les aînés accordent vraisemblablement plus d'importance à leurs amis de longue date plutôt qu'aux plus récents.

Keywords

Older WomenFriendshipSelf-identityFemmes âgéesamitiéidentité
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , Automne/Fall 1996 , pp. 374 - 392
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1996

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