Analyses examine change in the age people "feel" ("felt age") and "would like to be" ("ideal age") (relative to current age) in middle and later life. Data are from 1,815 respondents in two waves (1995-96, 2004-06) of the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS) who were age 40+ at Wave 1. In aggregate, people feel about the same amount younger…

Although parent-adult child ties are generally positive, most parents have multiple children whose relations may yield collective ambivalence combining higher and lower quality. Little research has investigated these multiple relations. NSFH respondents aged 50+ with adult children (N = 2,270) are used to assess patterns of quality and contact…

Surveyed recent enrollees (n=174) in Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Medicare coverage. Respondents were younger, healthier, and had more education than the general 65+ population; learned about HMOs from family and friends; and joined HMOs because of accessibility and coverage. Expectations about HMO care coverage were very high, raising…

Suggests that the social position and value of old age are normally of little importance in the personal lives of older people, partly because of the limited salience of age within their informal networks. Factors that heighten the salience of being old may reduce well being. (JAC)

Used data from National Survey of Families and Households to investigate associations among gender, employment, and marital happiness for 1,353 couples aged 50+. Employment was not directly related to marital happiness. Wives reported greater participation in household tasks and greater inequity in division of household labor. Perceived fairness…

Considerable evidence exists that the extended family continues to be a significant source of support for older people. There are limitations to its effectiveness in meeting certain needs, however. While the family is particularly effective in acute, emergency situations, it is poorly suited to the provision of long-term assistance. (Author)

Examines the relationship between older people's participation in voluntary associations and their sense of well-being. Findings reveal type of activity and reasons for participation had little relationship to life satisfaction, since they reflected health and socioeconomic status differences. (Author/BEF)

Despite low levels of criminal victimization, older people often express greater fear of crime than others. To examine the causes and consequences of such fear, 1,185 adults aged 60 and over, were interviewed about their personal characteristics, social resources, environment, subjective well-being, and lifestyle. Results showed that older people…

Used data from a national survey of adults to study the influence of community access on the life satisfaction of older adults. Results confirmed the importance of community involvement and mobility, especially for older Whites. Racial differences in the results suggest that lifestyles and experiences influence aging. (Author/JAC)

Consequences of singlehood are analyzed for never-married persons. Highly-educated older women are most likely to remain single. Family background is not a predictor. Although the never-married find life more exciting than other marital statuses among younger respondents, this reverses in later life. Never-marrieds are also less happy than the…

This study investigated the impact of shifts in age identification by older people (N=323) from "middle-aged" to "elderly" within the context of the labeling theory of deviance. Age identification was unrelated to attitudes toward old people and the label "elderly" did not affect self-esteem through any "gate-keeping" process. (Author)

Study explores relationship between age (and sex and race) and acceptance of euthanasia. Women and non-Whites were less accepting because of religiosity. Among older people less acceptance was attributable to their lesser education and greater religiosity. Results suggest that quality of life in old age affects acceptability of euthanasia. (Author)

Outlines a complex research agenda for understanding the contributions of informal social support to the quality of later life. Suggests a conceptual model for investigating informal support networks and well-being for the elderly and offers suggestions for operationalizing the model. (NRB)

Evidence concerning the contributions of social networks to the subjective well-being of older persons is inconsistent, reflecting the conceptual complexity of social networks and supports. In order to investigate the relative importance of different types of social ties and supports, the distinction between objective and subjective dimensions of…

Studies conducted in specifically age-segregated housing for older persons suggest that such age-homogeneous settings encourage networks of friendships and mutual assistance. Since patterns of age segregation exist within communities, such segregation may result in similar social benefits. Interviews (N=1,185) assessing social networks were…