The Impact of Widowhood on the Social Relations of Older Persons

Abstract

The impact of widowhood on family, friend, and neighbor relations of the elderly is examined. A review of the pertinent literature indicates that most studies analyze information concerning social relations after widowhood without explicit knowledge of such characteristics before widowhood. In order to assess the social impact of widowhood on older persons, this study utilizes panel data from a national survey of the low-income aged. Widows are classified into three categories, according to the amount of time since the death of their spouse, and compared to married persons on measures of family, friend, and neighbor interaction. Regressing time two on time one measures and several personal characteristics reveals that those widowed from one to four years have more frequent contact with neighbors than married persons do. One of the most important findings is the general stability of the recently widowed in regard to family relations. However, for those persons who have been widowed more than four years, lower levels of social interaction are observed on measures of family contact. The findings seriously question the utility of the decremental model for analyzing stressful life events and emphasize the temporal dynamics of adjustment to role loss.

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