An Exploratory Study On The Life Course And Preparation For Old Age Among Unmarried Older Women Living Alone

• Main Authors: Su, Lichiung, 蘇麗瓊
• Other Authors: Chun-An Chien
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70214533538531367946

博士 === 東海大學 === 社會工作學系 === 100 === Abstract This exploratory study on the life course and preparation for old age among unmarried older women living alone. In-depth interview were used on 13 female unmarried elders living alone, whose ages were from 57 years old to 84 years old. These elders belong to 3 cohorts, which across ex-baby boom stage 1,2, and baby boom. And the result as follows: 1. Unique life courses were exist and caused the differences between these female unmarried elders living alone. Their economic lifestyles can be divided to relief-type, savings-type, pension-type and property-type. 2. awareness/ unawareness of gender and inequality life course, each of the study participants feels different on gender awareness from the experience of life. But from a feminist perspective, almost all of the study participants gone through different levels of inequality oriented. Including: educational opportunities, the status of the household and labor market inequality. Accustomed to the role of caregiver , they ignore their own interests, nor perceive their care needs. 3. Reasons of stayed unmarried vary with Life stages and cohort. Different life stages like marring age and middle age；economic, social culture and the way to choose spouse made different unmarried reason between cohorts. 4. Life courses of living alone are related to the stage of life development, both personal and relatives. The result follows four kinds of path. While there're no health problems need to be considered, lifestyle of living alone will be formed because of personal career, parent's death and brotherhood's marriage which create the situation of without family members to live with. 5. Female unmarried elders living alone vary with social network relationship. These elders' kinship rely on parents and brothers. Parents' or brother's death affect the development of family relationship. Parent's death on different life development also impact differently. The social relationship of participants showed 3 types : (1) spot type (2) vertical type (3) horizontal type. 6. Perceptual support has important meaning on female unmarried elders living alone. Generally speaking , the researches on the social support of elders were partial on affective, substance and information. None of the participants of this research live together with relatives or friends makes them in lack of handy and social normative on the three supports previously mentioned. On the contrary, perceptual support makes female unmarried elders living alone have faith on social support which means a lot on their sense of security toward life. 7. Different cohort of Female unmarried elders living alone has difference items and point of view on the preparation for old age. For example, the participants of this research who born on the baby boom have more diverse financial manage tools then participants born on ex-baby boom. Except savings, they still have foundation, stock, insurance and houses. 8. The principle of agency can be the core and individualized among life course theory. The 7 principles of life course theory affect the development of life experiences. Each principles works interactively, by not vertically nor proportionally cause different life experiences. The principle of agency is the core of these 7 principles while other 6 are only assist or restrict the work of the principle of agency . keyword: life course theory, preparation for old age, reasons of stay unmarried, process of living alone, social relationship type, parents & sibling’s two-axis kinship, elder economic lifestyle, cohort difference