THEME 8

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADULTHOOD AND OLD

AGE

SOCIAL RELATIONS

HEALTH

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

PROTECTION AGAINST STRESS

INSTRUMENTAL SUPPORT

SOCIAL RELATIONS THROUGHOUT ADULTHOOD AND OLD AGE

Convoy or Caravan Model (Kahn and Antonucci, 1980)

* Convoy changes throughout life cycle (adolescence, adulthood)

* Theory of Socioemotional Selectivity

* Changes in composition

* Cultural and gender differences

* Theory of Functional Specificity

SOCIAL RELATIONS THROUGHOUT ADULTHOOD AND OLD AGE

Theory of Equity

* People maintain just and equitable relationships

* Differences in gender:

men = more focus on exchanges

women = more focus on community

SOCIAL RELATIONS THROUGHOUT ADULTHOOD AND OLD AGE

Friendship

* Lack of studies

* Functions change at each moment of life cycle

* Less friendships in old age

ATTACHMENT DURING ADULTHOOD

Changes in subject(s) of attachment

Aspects that stay the same throughout adulthood

Aspects that change

ATTACHMENT DURING ADULTHOOD

Some aspects of attachment stay the same as in childhood:*Desire for proximity to the subject of attachment *The welfare associated with his/her presence *Anxiety when faced with separation or loss

Other aspects change:*Greater tolerance of separation *Manifestations of attachment less frequent and flagrant*More stable representational model *Affliction caused by separations less frequent and less bothersome

STERNBERG’S THEORY ABOUT LOVE

INTIMACY

PASSION COMMITMENT

Infatuation

Fatuous Love Empty Love

Companionate Love

Liking

Romantic Love

Consummate

Love

Falling In Love: the initial phase of a romantic relationship Sudden appearance Intense desire for intimacy and reciprocation Frequent and uncontrollable thoughts about the other

person Loss of concentration Physiological activation when the other person is present Idealization of the other person Hypersensibility to the desires and necessities of the

other person

THE LIFE OF A COUPLE, MARRIAGE, AND FAMILY

*Marriage as the most common way of life

* Pressure to marry lessened

More single people

More de facto partnerships

CHOOSING A PARTNER (Feingold, 1992)

* Important aspect that is well-studied

* Factors related to initial attraction are different than those involved in the establishment of a relationship

SUCESSIVE STAGES

1. PROXIMITY

2. ATTRACTION

3. SIMILARITY

4. RECIPROCITY

5. COMPLEMENTARY

STAGES IN MARRIAGE

1. THE NEW COUPLE

2. TRANSITION TO PARENTHOOD

3. MID-LIFE ADOLESCENCE

4. THE EMPTY NEST

5. CULMINATION

STAGES IN MARRIAGE

1. THE NEW COUPLE

Highest levels of satisfaction and highest divorce rates

TASKS TO COMPLETE:

1. Economic security

2. Establish a comfortable home

3. Adjust to relationships with friends and family

4. Establish a satisfactory sexual relationship

5. Become accommodated to partner’s habits

6. Establish a model for communication, conflict resolution, and decision making

STAGES IN MARRIAGE

2. TRANSITION TO PARENTHOOD

From the birth of the first child until he/she reaches adolescence

* Changes in the relationship of the couple and their relationship with friends and family (way of life)

* Marital satisfaction tends to diminish:

58% equal 37% gets worse 5% gets better

* Fight for power (about 7 years)

STAGES IN MARRIAGE

3. MID-LIFE ADOLESCENCE

From the beginning of the first child’s adolescence until the last child moves out

* Adaptation to the changes in adolescent children

* Tends to coincide with mid-life crisis

* Pressure of the life cycle: care for parents and children

* Inversion of roles and redefinition of the couple’s relationship

STAGES IN MARRIAGE4. THE EMPTY NEST

From when the last child moves out until retirement

* Regardless of the topic, conjugal satisfaction tends to improve

* Losses can reinforce the relationship

* Accentuates the inversion of roles

* Some factors that facilitate adaptation:

- Work outside the house

- Good relationship

- Children move out in phases and at proper age

STAGES IN MARRIAGE

5. CULMINATION

From retirement to widowhood

* Variable duration

* Relatively satisfactory stage of companionship and interdependence

* Adaptation to retirement and preparation for widowhood

SEPERATION AND DIVORCE

*Important increase in separation and divorce

*Less social stigma

RISK FACTORS

Age

Economic factors

Divorced parents

Phases SEPERATION

ADAPTATION

RECONSTRUCTION

WIDOWHOOD

*More frequent among women:

*Women adapt better

- Better social abilities and relations - Younger and healthier - More resources for domestic tasks

* Influences: age--social support--self-sufficiency

WIDOWHOOD

Rupture of emotional link

Economic loss

Loneliness and isolation

WIDOWHOOD

PHASES

Preparation

Stage 1: Protest

Stage 2: Desperation

Stage 3: Recuperation

WORK AND CAREER

* The importance of work

WORK

IDENTITY AND SELF-CONCEPT

SELF-ESTEEM AND SATISFACTION

SOCIAL RELATIONS

VALUES

STRESS

WORK AND CAREER

From an extrinsic motivation to an intrinsic motivation

PHASES OF A CAREER

EXPLORATION

ESTABLISHMENT

MANTAINENCE

DECELERATION

WORK AND CAREER

UNEMPLOYMENT

* Loss of income

* Stress

* Health

* Decrease in self-esteem

PROTECTIVE FACTORS:

Social support - economic resources – attribution of failure

RETIREMENT AS A

CULTURAL PHENOMENON

* Retirement is a recent phenomenon that is a result of the emergence of an industrial society that has:

a) An economy capable of generating an economic surplus b) A public or private pension system

* Retirement was a response to the excess workforce of older people and to the overflow of resources to address poverty

* Establishment of Social Security systems

(Germany, 1889; England 1909; U.S.A., 1935)

* Replanting of age of retirement

PHASES OF RETIREMENT

1. Pre-retirement

3. Disillusionment

2. Honeymoon Phase

4. Reorientation

5. Stability

6. Finalization

ADAPTATION TO RETIREMENT

RETIREMENT

LEVEL OF INCOME

PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT

HEALTH

How important the subject considers work and his/her subjective perception of his/her health and economic situation will influence adaptation

THEORIES ABOUT ADAPTATION TO RETIREMENT AND HEALTHY AGEING

THEORY OF DETACHMENT

*Adaptation to ageing involves a progressive withdrawal from roles and compromises *Detached people would be more satisfied

THEORY OF ACTIVITY

*The more active a person is, the better that person ages

THEORIES ABOUT ADAPTATION TO RETIREMENT AND HEALTHY AGEING

Is this the correct theory?

* Depends on each person and his/her past way of life

* Also important is the type of activity: informal and with company

* Detachment is limited to the end of life

FACTORS THAT FALICITATE RETIREMENT

Capacity to confront stressful situations

When the changes are minimal

When retirement is gradual

Many personal resources (health, income, social support)

Personal qualities (flexibility, positive attitude towards retirement)

When expectations have been met