Peter Öberg, Gävle University College

2011-2015

The purpose was to study attitudes towards, expectations on and experiences of, new intimate relationships in later life. The purpose has not changed during the project period - and the research questions have received at least partial answers.

THREE CENTRAL RESULTS

A central result is that late modern forms of intimacy have reached also older Swedes. Older people are part of contemporary divorce culture: It has become more common for older people both to be divorced (prevalence) and to get divorced (incidence). Older people tend to prefer alternative union forms: In relationships initiated 60+ LAT (7/10) and cohabitation (3/10) are the preferred union forms, while marriage is very rare. A third of all unmarried people in the age group 60-90 are in fact in a relationship. The results open up for a critique of census data that uses civil status as a measure of being in a couple, for giving a false representation of older people's family lives and social integration.

Union form among older people is not best explained by cohort belonging, but by the historical time and to some extent the life phase in which the relationship was established. The later (both in terms of historical and life time) a relationship has been established, the more likely it is that a person cohabites or lives in an LAT relationship. The fact that many older people are married is explained by the fact that they initialized their relationship when marriage was still the cultural norm. The results are in contrast with the assumption that older people are representatives of cultural lag. Instead they can to some extent be seen as an avant-garde in the exploration of new forms of intimacy.

A second central result is that Sweden, with respect to how late modernity affects older peoples' intimate relationships, appears to be a rather extreme global case. Alongside the preference for alternative union forms it is reflected in the positive attitudes that older respondents have towards other older people establishing new intimate relationships in later life, but also in the positive attitudes they perceive their adult children have towards them establishing new LAT- or cohabiting relationships. This contrasts with results from international research, also in culturally rather similar countries, such as the Netherlands.

A third central result is that an intimate relationship contributes strongly to life satisfaction in later life - independent of union form and in which life phase the relationship was established. A partner, independent of relationship duration, is also an important buffer against loneliness.

NEW RESEARCH QUESTIONS

A new research question that the project has inspired is how intimate relationships in later life, new or old, current or past, affect older peoples' relationships with children, siblings, friends and others. We have treated these questions in an earlier article in Journal of Family Issues, based on qualitative interviews, and are now working on a follow-up article based on the survey data. These new research questions have also been developed into a project about aging stepfamilies that has recently received funding from FORTE.

The project has also raised questions about singlehood in later life. The survey collected data about singles as a reference group to older people in intimate relationships. During the project singlehood has increasingly appeared as an interesting category in itself, which is given its meaning in relation to couplehood and is therefore of importance to the study of intimacy. Earlier research about older singles has often disregarded intimacy and only focused on losses (often widowhood), not dating and potential new relationships.

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS

An important part of assuring the international connections of the project has been to actively participate in international conferences. We have presented the results to colleagues in the US (at GSA 2013; 2014), South Korea (IAGG 2013), and Ireland (Cultural Gerontology 2014). We will also present the research in the US this summer (Aging Families 2015).

Our presentations have generated much international interest and important contacts, including well known family gerontologists as prof Jenny de Jong Gierveld (University of Amsterdam), who has made several studies on new intimate relationships in later life, and prof Teo van Tilburg at the "Amsterdam Longitudinal Study of Ageing". We have an invitation from them to visit the department of Sociology in Amsterdam and present our research. We hope to be able to realize this in fall 2015.

Other important contacts include prof Chris Philipson at Manchester University and prof Thomas Scharf at the University of Galway, who invited us to write the book "Intimacy in Later Life" for Policy Press (under development). Philipson has invited us to give research presentations at the Morgan Centre in Manchester in fall 2015.

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS OUTSIDE OF ACADEMIA

We have given some twenty research presentations outside of/on the boarder of academia: presentations for practitioners in the field of ageing, for researchers in other fields and for the wider public. The project has been well represented in the media: In national TV news, radio and newspapers.

TWO IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS

Bildtgård, T. & Öberg, P. (2015). Förändrade intimitetsformer bland äldre i det senmoderna samhället [The Transformation of Intimacy among Older People in Late Modern Sweden]. Sociologisk Forskning 52(1): 5-32.

The article sheds light on a little researched Swedish reality: New romantic relationships among older people, against the background of the transformation of intimacy. Results showed that late modern changes in intimacy patterns encompass also the older Swedish population. Older people who initiate intimate relationships in later life primarily chose to cohabit or to live as LATs, while it is rare, and widely considered as unimportant, to get married. This means that in some respects older people can be considered an avant-garde in the exploration of new forms of intimacy. The results also show that being in a relationship is important for the life satisfaction of older people, regardless of union form. On the basis of the results official statistics of civil status are criticized for giving a false representation of the family lives and social integration of older people.

Bildtgård, T. & Öberg, P. (submitted). Union form in romantic relationships in later life - The APC-question. Submitted to Journal of Marriage and Family.

The article studies the relative importance of age, period and cohort as determinants of union form (marriage, cohabitation and Living Apart Together) in older people's current relationships. Historical period at relationship initiation was the most important factor explaining whether older people live in marriages or alternative union forms, followed by age at relationship initiation. However, the hypothesis that cohort belonging explains union patterns did not get any support. In conclusion the data suggests that if older people are different from other age groups, it is not because of their preferences for traditional union forms, but because they tend to explore alternative union forms.

PUBLISHING STRATEGY

The journals Sociologisk forskning (published) and Socialvetenskaplig tidskrift (submitted) both offer Open Access(OA) without fees. Journal of Marriage and Family (submitted) charges for OA. We are presently working on the following manuscripts:

"Intimacy in Later Life": Book manuscript for the Policy Press Global Ageing-series. The book will present research about intimate relationships in later life in advanced modernity, using our Swedish studies as empirical examples. The book will discuss: Older peoples' attitudes to new intimate relationships; union form in new intimate relationships; relationship ideals and experiences; the effects of new intimate relationships on quality of life, loneliness and older peoples' access to support; social norms; sexual norms and experiences; gender differences; differences from relationships earlier in life and from life-long relationships. Costs for publishing will be carried by Policy Press. The book will be the most central publication of the project.

Additionally three manuscript under production deal with: How new intimate relationships in later life affect the social network of the older individual (will be sent to the Australasian Journal of Ageing, charges for OA); Intimate relationships in a life course perspective (will be sent to Advances in Life Course Research, charges for OA); Age norms in couple relationships (will be sent to International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, free OA).

We intend to apply for additional funding from RJ to cover the costs of Open Access publication.

Publications

PUBLIKATIONER

Samtliga publikationer är författade av Torbjörn Bildtgård och Peter Öberg

Framtida publikationer

Vi har undertecknat kontrakt med det brittiska förlaget Policy Press om att skriva en bok ”Intimacy and Ageing” som en slutprodukt av både det kvalitativa FORTE-finansierade och det kvantitativa RJ-finansierade projektet.

Artiklar till refereebedömda tidskrifter

1) Öberg, P. Andersson, L. & Bildtgård, T. (insänd) Skyddar en parrelation på äldre dar mot ensamhet. Insänd till Socialvetenskaplig Tidskrift.

2) Bildtgård, T. & Öberg, P. (submitted). Union form in romantic relationships in later life – The APC-question. Submitted to Journal of Marriage and Family.

3) Bildtgård, T. & Öberg, P. (2015). Förändrade intimitetsformer bland äldre i det senmoderna samhället. Sociologisk Forskning 52(1): 5–32.

REFEREEBEDÖMDA KONFERENSBIDRAG

Accepterade kommande presentationer 2015:

- Paper: “Changing union forms among older people in late modern Sweden”. Aging Families, Changing Families: An International Conference (Syracuse, New York, USA, 3-6 June, 2015)
- Paper: “Gendered ideals vs realities for partner-age in unions in later life”. Aging Families, Changing Families: An International Conference (Syracuse, New York, USA, 3-6 June, 2015)
- Paper: Union form in late life intimate relationships – A question of age, period or cohort? Aging Families, Changing Families: An International Conference (Syracuse, New York, USA, 3-6 June, 2015)

Hållna presentationer 2013–2014:

2014:

- Poster: “Diversity of intimacy forms and their importance for well-being in later life”. Gerontological Society of America’s 67th Annual Congress, Washington, DC, USA
- Poster: “Changing sexual practices in intimate relationships in later life – a life course perspective”. Gerontological Society of America’s 67th Annual Congress, Washington, DC, USA
- Paper: “Consequences of new intimate relationships for linked lives and autonomy in later life”. Gerontological Society of America’s 67th Annual Congress, Washington, DC, USA
- Poster: “The importance of intimate relationships for well-being in later life.” 22nd Nordic Congress of Gerontology, Göteborg
- Paper: “Sexual activity and norms among older Swedes – a life course perspective”. 22nd Nordic Congress of Gerontology, Göteborg
- Paper: “New forms of intimacy in later life in a culture of divorce”. 8th International Conference on Cultural Gerontology, Galway, Ireland
- Paper: “Changing sexual practices in new intimate relationships in later life – a life course perspective”. 8th International Conference on Cultural Gerontology, Galway, Ireland
- Paper: “The impact of new intimate relationships in later life on inter-generational exchanges”. 8th International Conference on Cultural Gerontology, Galway, Ireland

2013:

- Poster: New sexual relationships in later life: The case of late modern Sweden. Gerontological Society of America’s 66th Annual Congress, New Orleans, USA
- Paper: New Intimate Relationships and Informal Care Obligations in Later Life. Gerontological Society of America’s 66th Annual Scientific Congress, New Orleans, USA
- Poster: The Impact of New Intimate Relationships in Later Life on Life Satisfaction – A Swedish study. Gerontological Society of America’s 66th Annual Scientific Congress, New Orleans, USA
- Paper: Time as a structuring condition for new intimate relationships in later life - A qualitative study of elderly Swedes. IAGG’s 20th World Congress in Gerontology and Geriatrics, Seoul, South-Korea
- Paper: Attitudes, experiences and expectations on new intimate relationships in later life. IAGG’s 20th World Congress in Gerontology and Geriatrics, Seoul, South-Korea

PROJEKTETS HEMSIDA (Changing Family Relationships in Later Life)

http://www.hig.se/Ext/Sv/Organisation/Akademier/Akademin-for-halsa-och-arbetsliv/Forskning-vid-akademin/Forskningsprojekt/Forskningsprojekt-svenska/Socialt-arbete/Nya-intima-relationer-pa-aldre-dar.html