Family Ties and Aging 3/e

Ingrid Arnet Connidis is Professor of Sociology at Western University (formerly, University of Western Ontario), London, Canada. In 2001 she was the Petersen Visiting Scholar in Gerontology and Family Studies at Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, and in 2011 she was Visiting Chair in Gerontology at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Her research on various family ties and aging and on ambivalence appears in a variety of books and journals including Journal of Marriage and Family, Journal of Family Theory and Review, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Research on Aging, Journal of Aging Studies, and Canadian Journal on Aging. A theme of Ingrid's work is the challenge of negotiating family ties in the face of social inequality and the consequent contradictions that are embedded in social institutions including family and work. Ingrid is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). In 2004 she and Julie McMullin were awarded the Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award from GSA for their work on ambivalence ("Sociological Ambivalence and Family Ties: A Critical Perspective." Journal of Marriage and Family, 2002:64:3:558-567). In 2013, Ingrid was a proud recipient of the inaugural Wiley Alexis Walker Award at the National Council on Family Relations in recognition of her influence on and contribution to the field and for best research publication in family studies ("Interview and memoir: Complementary narratives on the family ties of gay adults" published in the Journal of Family Theory & Review in 2012). This award is in memory of a woman of intellect, integrity, humility, and generosity, Alexis J. Walker, whose example and mentoring continue to have a profound influence on the lives of many scholars and students. Amanda E. Barnett is Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI, United States. Her work focuses on the areas of caregiving, intergenerational relationships, and late life family decision-making. She was the 2010 recipient of the Gerontological Society of America Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization Interdisciplinary Paper Award, and the 2010-2011 recipient of the Shelley Joseph Kordell Scholarship from the University of Minnesota Center on Aging for her pursuit of a career in aging. She has presented and published her research on a range of topics including marital relationships of grandparents raising grandchildren, financial long-term care decisions among couples, adult child caregivers' multiple roles and health outcomes, and intergenerational resource transfers. Her work appears in a variety of journals, including Journal of Marriage and Family, Research on Aging, International Journal of Aging and Human Development, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, and Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning.

Preface Acknowledgments Part I. Introduction and Overview Chapter 1: Older Persons in a Family Context The Relevance of Studying Family Relationships in Older Age The Place of Older People in Families of the Past and Present Theoretical Orientation Underlying Assumptions Dimensions of Family Ties and Plan of the Book Thinking Ahead Chapter 2: The Availability of Family Ties in Later Life Demographic Trends and Family Structure The Availability of a Marital or Intimate Partner The Availability of Children The Availability of Grandchildren The Availability of Siblings Living Arrangements in Later Life Summary Conclusion to Part I Part II. Intimate Ties Chapter 3: Intimate Ties in Later Life Defining Intimate Ties The Significance of Marital Status Sexuality and Aging Summary Chapter 4: Long-Term Intimate Partnerships: Marriage and Same-Sex Unions Marriage in Later Life Gay and Lesbian Partnerships The Impact of Life Transitions on Intimate Ties Summary Chapter 5: Transitions in Intimate Ties: Loss of a Long-Term Partner Widowhood The Death of a Same-Sex Partner Divorce Dissolution of Same-Sex Relationships Summary Chapter 6: Being Single in Later Life Portrayals of Being Single Trends in Staying Single The Transition to Being Single The Lives of Older Single Persons Gay and Lesbian Singles in Mid- and Later Life Summary Chapter 7: New Opportunities for Intimacy in Later Life Remarriage Cohabitation Living Apart Together Dating and Steady Companions Sexual Intimacy among the Unattached in Later Life Summary Conclusion to Part II Part III. Intergenerational Relations Chapter 8: Exploring Intergenerational Relations Perspectives on Intergenerational Relations Older Parents and Their Adult Children Chapter 9: Support Exchanges Between Older Parents and Adult Children Perspectives on Support Exchanges Parental Support to Adult Children Child Support to Older Parents Summary Chapter 10: Childless Older Persons Transitions to Childlessness The Impact of Being Childless on Social Activity and Support in Later Life The Impact of Being Childless on Quality of Life in Older Age Summary Chapter 11: Grandparents and Grandchildren Availability of and Contact with Grandparents and Grandchildren The Nature of Grandparent-Grandchild Relations Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren The Death of Grandparents Summary Chapter 12: Partner Transitions, Stepties, and Intergenerational Relations The Impact of Divorce on Ties between Older Parents and their Children The Impact of Divorce on Grandparent-Grandchild Ties Remarriage, Stepties, and Intergenerational Relations Summary Conclusion to Part III Part IV. Sibling Relationships Chapter 13: Sibling Ties in Middle and Later Life Unique Features of Sibling Ties Diversity Among Siblings Availability of and Contact with Siblings The Nature of Sibling Ties in Later Life Chapter 14: Life Transitions and Sibling Ties The Impact of Changes in Marital and Parental Status Aunts and Uncles, Nieces and Nephews Sharing Caring for Parents Support Exchanges Among Older Siblings Summary and Conclusion to Part IV Part V. Research and Policy Chapter 15: Research and Policy: Issues and Directions Research Issues Social Policy Summary and Conclusion to Part V References Index About the Authors

This text provides the foundation for discussions...it is valuable for both undergraduate and graduate students. It offers enough substance for graduate students to use it as a springboard for more in-depth considerations of the topics. It provides undergraduates with the foundation of information that they can apply to their own lives. -- Denise C. Lewis I've adopted this book because of its good breadth (combined with good depth, not watered down) of a good variety of topics and issues. I like the life course and other theoretical perspectives, including the notion of "negotiation" of family relations, and the attention to how family patterns and relations vary by both age and gender, as well as gay/lesbian relations and other diversity in family forms. -- Russell Ward * Survey Monkey * I have not yet seen a book that is better-structured for my course. The main sections seem to appropriately capture the range of key family relationships during each period. I believe the book attends to family system-level issues better than others I reviewed. I also build a focus on psychohistorical perspective into the course and believe this is appropriately addressed in the book. -- Randy Leite, Dean, College of Health Sciences and Professions * Survey Monkey * This text is one of the only up-to-date comprehensive texts on this topic that I have found. Comprehensive is probably the key word. All of the major topics are addressed. -- Mary Hart, Professor/Gerontology Program Director * Survey Monkey *