Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-wpx84 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-18T04:24:52.642Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of Spouses' Characteristics on the Social Roles and Activities of Married Elderly Persons in Israel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Judah Matras  and
Miriam Caiden
Judah Matras
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this paper, we present findings from a recent national study of elderly persons in Israel which cover two related questions: I. How do spouses' characteristics and activities affect the social participation of married older men and women? 2. Is the effect of husbands' characteristics and activities on wives equivalent or symmetrical to that of wives' characteristics and activities on husbands? The study is based on analyses of data collected in the Israel Survey of Persons Aged 60 and Over in Households, 1985, a national sample survey of households conducted by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics which included approximately 4,500 persons age 60 and over. An innovation of our study has been the design of a data file which enables us to study the activities, role incumbency, and participation of the respondents in relation to the characteristics and activities of their spouses.

We study the performance by husbands and wives of social roles designated as ‘major commitment’ roles (MCRs), in that they are roles performed in social contexts invoving commitments over time to the activity and to the social units in which they are carried out: (a) employment, (b) continued parenting involving assistance to adult children, (c) full housekeeping, and (d) volunteer activity. Characteristics and roles of the wives of older married male respondents, and of the husbands of older married female respondents in Israel, are significantly associated with the respondents' performance of the MCRs which we have identified. However, the ‘marginal effects coefficients’ based on logistic regression equations show that the relative weight of spouses' characteristics and roles is small compared with that of the respondents' own characteristics and other competing or mutually supportive roles. There are both symmetries and assymmetries in the patterns of effects of husbands' and wives' characteristics and roles on prevalences of MCRs among the older married respondents.

Keywords

Rolesactivitiesparticipationhusbandswivesspouses' characteristicsemploymentparentinghousekeepingvolunteeringIsrael
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , December 1994 , pp. 537 - 573
Copyright
Copyright Cambridge University Press 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Askham, Janet, 1984. Identity and Stability in Marriage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atchley, R. C., 1972. The Social Forces in Later Life: An Introduction to Social Gerontology. pp. 106–107. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Atchley, R. C., 1987. Aging, Continuity and Change, 2d. Ed.Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Atchley, R. C. and Miller, S. J., 1980. Older People and Their Families. In: Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics Vol. 1. Eisdorfer, Carl (ed.) pp. 337–369. New York: Springer Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Atchley, R. C. and Miller, S. J., 1983. Types of Elderly Couples, in Brubaker, T. H. (ed.), Family Relationships in Later Life. pp. 77–90. Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE.Google Scholar
Baltes, P. B., forthcoming. The Aging Mind: Potential and Limits, forthcoming in The Gerontologist.Google Scholar
Baltes, P. B. and Baltes, M. M., 1990. Psychological Perspectives on Successful Aging: The model of Selective Optimization with Compensation, in Baltes, P. B. and Baltes, M. M. (eds.), Successful Aging. Perspectives from the Behavioral Sciences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ballweg, J. A., 1967. Resolution of Conjugal Role Adjustment After Retirement. Journal of Marriage and the Family 29(2): 277–281.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blau, Z. S., 1973. Old Age in a Changing Society. New York: Franklin Watts.Google Scholar
Boskin, M., 1977. Social Security and the Retirement Decision. Economic Inquiry 15: 1–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, E. W., 1960. Aging in Western Culture, in Burgess, E. W. (ed.), Aging in Western Societies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Campione, W., 1987. The Married Woman's Retirement Decision: A Methodological Comparison. Journal of Gerontology 42(4): 381–386.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chambre, S. M., 1984. Is Volunteering a Substitute for Role Loss in Old Age? An Empirical Test of Activity Theory. The Gerontologist 23(4): 292–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheal, D. J., 1983. Intergenerational Family Transfers. Journal of Marriage and the Family 45(4): 805–813.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, H. G., 1993. Later Life. The Realities of Aging. 3rd Edition. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.Google Scholar
Cowgill, D. O. and Holmes, L. D., 1972. Aging and Modernization. New York: Appleton-Century Crofts.Google Scholar
Cumming, E. and Henry, W. E., 1961. Growing Old: The Process of Disengagement. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Dressler, D. M., 1973. Life Adjustment of Retired Couples. Intergenerational Journal of Aging and Human Development 4(4): 335–349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dye, D., Goodman, M., Roth, M., Bley, N. and Jensen, K., 1973. ‘The Older Adult Volunteer Compared to the Nonvolunteer’. Gerontologist 13(2): 215–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Featherman, D. L., Smith, J. and Peterson, J. G., 1990. Successful Aging in a Post-Retired Society, in Baltes, P. B. and Baltes, M. M. (eds.), Successful Aging. Perspectives from the Behavioral Sciences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fischer, R., Mueller, D., Cooper, P. and Chase, R., 1989. Older Minnesotans: What Do They Need? How Do They Contribute? Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, St. Paul, Minnesota.Google Scholar
Fitting, M., Rabins, P., Lucas, M. J., Eastham, J., 1986. ‘Caregivers for Dementia Patients: A Comparison of Husbands and Wives’. The Gerontologist 26(3): 248–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, J. H., 1977. Effects of Retirement and Former Work Life on Women's Adaptation in Old Age. Journal of Gerontology 32(2): 196–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
George, L. K., 1980. Role Transitions in Later Life. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.Google Scholar
George, L. K. and Maddox, G. L., 1977. Subjective Adaptation to Loss of the Work Role: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Gerontology 32(4): 456–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glanz, D. and Taboory, E., 1985. Higher Education and Retirement: The Israeli Experience. Educational Gerontology 11(2–3): 101–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, D. M., Peters, N. and Cameron, C. F., 1990. Elderly Male Spouses as Caregivers: Toward an Understanding of Their Experience. Journal of Gerontological Nursing 16(3): 20–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Habib, J., 1990. Population Aging and the Economy, in Binstock, R. and George, L. K. (eds.), Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. 3rd Edition. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Habib, J. and Matras, J., 1990. Factors in the Prevalence of Major Commitment Roles Among the Elderly in Israel. Paper presented to the Annual Symposium of the European Behavioural and Social Science Research Section (EBSSRS) of the International Association of Gerontology. Gdansk, August.Google Scholar
Habib, J. and Matras, J., 1991. Role and Activity Profiles of Middle-Aged and Elderly Israelis: First Findings of a National Study. In Featherstone, M. (ed.), The Future of Adult Life. Vol. 3. Middlebrough, U.K.: Teeside Polytechnic Institute.Google Scholar
Hagestad, G. O. and Neugarten, B. L., 1985. Age and the Life Course, in Binstock, R. H. and Shanas, E. (eds.), Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. 2nd Ed.New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.Google Scholar
Hall, A. and Johnson, T. R., 1980. The Determinants of Planned Retirement Age. Industrial and Labor Relations Review. 33(2): 241–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harvey, A. S., Marshall, K. and Frederick, J. A., 1991. Where Does Time Go? General Social Survey. Analysis Series No. 4. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalog 11–612E. No. 4.Google Scholar
Harvey, C. D. and Bahr, H. M., 1974. Widowhood, Morale, and Affiliation. Journal of Marriage and the Family 36(1): 97–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henretta, J. C. and O'Rand, A., 1980. Labor Force Participation of Older Married Women. Social Security Bulletin 43(8): 10–16.Google ScholarPubMed
Henretta, J. C. and O'Rand, A., 1982. Delayed Career Entry, Industrial Pension Structure, and Early Retirement in a Cohort of Unmarried Women. American Sociological Review 47 (06): 365–373.Google Scholar
Hill, R., 1965. Decision Making and the Family Life Cycle. In Shanas, E. and Streib, G. (eds.). Social Structure and the Family. Englewood Cliffs, NJ.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.Google Scholar
Hunter, K. I. and Linn, M. W., 1981. Psychosocial Differences Between Elderly Volunteers and Non-Volunteers. International Journal of Aging and Adult Human Development 12(3): 205–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 1986. Survey of Persons Aged 60 and Over in Households 1985: Housing Conditions and Household Management. Special Series no. 814, Jerusalem.Google Scholar
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 1988. Survey of Persons Aged 60 and Over in Households 1985: Selected Characteristics of Persons Aged 60 and Over. Special Series No. 840, Jerusalem.Google Scholar
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 1990. Survey of Persons Aged 60 and Over in Households 1985: Health and Use of Health Services. Special Series No. 868, Jerusalem.Google Scholar
Jerrome, D., 1990. Intimate Relationships, in Bond, B. and Coleman, P. (eds.), Ageing in Society. An Introduction to Social Gerontology. London: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar
Keating, N. C. and Cole, P., 1980. What Do I Do With Him 24 Hours a Day? Changes in the Housewife Role After Retirement. The Gerontologist 20(1): 84–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keith, P. M., 1980. Sex Differences in Household Involvement of the Unmarried. Journal of Gerontological Social Work 2(4): 331–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kremer, Y., 1985. Parenthood and Marital Role Performance Among Retired Workers: Comparison Between Pre- and Post-Retirement Period. Ageing and Society 5(4): 449–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krout, J. A., Cutler, S. J. and Coward, R. T., 1990. ‘Correlates of Senior Center Participation: A National Analysis’. The Gerontologist 30(1): 72–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laslett, P., 1985. Societal Development and Aging, in Binstock, R. H. and Shanas, E. (eds.), Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. 2nd ed.New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.Google Scholar
Lehmann, H., 1987. Several Characteristics of the Process of Social Disengagement in a Group of Urban Elderly. Gerontology 38–9: 73–80. (in Hebrew).Google Scholar
Lewis, J. and Meredith, B., 1989. Contested Territory in Informal Care, in Jefferys, M. (ed.), Growing Old in the Twentieth Century. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Maddox, G. P. and Campbell, R. T., 1985. Scope, Concepts, and Methods in the Study of Aging, in Binstock, R. H. and Shanas, E. (eds.), Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. 2nd ed.New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.Google Scholar
Marsden, D. and Abrams, S., 1987. ‘Liberators’, ‘Companions’, ‘Intruders’, and ‘Cuckoos in the Nest’: A Sociology of Caring Relationships over the Life Cycle, in Allan, P. et al. (eds.), Women and the Life Cycle. Transitions and Turning Points. London: Macmillan Press.Google Scholar
Mason, Jennifer, 1988. No Peace for the Wicked: Older Married Women and Leisure, in Wimbush, E. and Talbot, M. (eds.), Relative Freedoms. Women and Leisure. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Matras, J., 1990. Dependency, Obligations, and Entitlements. A New Sociology of Aging, the Life Course, and the Elderly. Englewood Cliffs, NJ.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.Google Scholar
Maves, P. B., 1960. Aging, Religion, and the Church, in Tibbits, C. (ed.), Handbook of Social Gerontology: Societal Aspects of Aging, pp. 698–732. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
McDonald, L. and Wanner, R., 1990. Retirement in Canada. Toronto: Butterworths.Google Scholar
McPherson, B. D., 1991. Aging as a Social Process. 2nd ed.Toronto: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Miller, B., 1987. Gender and Control among Spouses of the Cognitively Impaired: A Research Note. The Cerontologist 27(4): 447–453.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, B. and Montgomery, A., 1990. Family Caregivers and Limitations in Social Activities. Research on Aging 12(1): 72–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, L. A., 1982. Social Roles in Later Life: Some Recent Research Trends, in Eisdorfer, C. (ed.), Annual Review, of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Vol. III. New York: Springer Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Morgan, L. A., 1983. ‘Intergenerational Economic Assistance to Children: The Case of Widows and Widowers’. Journal of Gerontology 38(6): 725–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moritz, D. J., Kasl, S. V. and Berkman, L. F., 1989. The Health Impact of Living with a Cognitively Impaired Elderly Spouse: Depressive Symptoms and Social Functioning. Journal of Gerontology 44(1): 17–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noam, G., 1987. Issues in the Study of the Quality of the Elderly Mother-Adult Daughter Relationship. Comprenhensive Gerontology 1: 68–71.Google Scholar
Palmore, E. et al. , 1985. Retirement: Causes and Consequences. Springer Publishing Co., New York.Google Scholar
Parnes, H. S. et al. , 1985. Retirement Among American Men. D. C. Heath and Company, Lexington, Mass.Google Scholar
Parnes, H. S. (ed.), 1981. Work and Retirement: A Longitudinal Study of Men. MIT Press: Cambridge, Mass. p. 143.Google Scholar
Parker, S., 1980. Older Workers and Retirement. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, Social Survey Division, London.Google Scholar
Parsons, D. O., 1977. Health, Family Structure, and Labor Supply. The American Economic Review 67(4): 703–712.Google Scholar
Quirquette, C. and Gold, D. P., 1992. Spousal Characteristics as Predictors of Well-Being in Older Couples. International Journal of Aging and Human Development 34(4): 257–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qureshi, H. and Walker, A., 1989. The Caring Relationship. Elderly People and Their Families. London: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Ramanathan, R., 1989. Introductory Econometrics with Applications. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc.Google Scholar
Riley, M. W. and Foner, A., 1968. Aging and Society, Vol. I. Russell Sage Foundation, New York.Google Scholar
Rosow, I., 1967. Social Integration of the Aged. New York: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Rosow, I., 1985. Status and Role Change Through the Life Cycle, in Binstock, R. H. and Shanas, E. (eds.), Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, 2nd ed.New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.Google Scholar
Sabatello, E. F. and Tal, D., 1990. Women's Health, Work Experience, and Social Roles at Older Ages. Genus 46(3–4): 85–94.Google Scholar
Simmons, L. W., 1945. The Role of Aged in Primitive Society. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Steigman, N., 1987. Profile of Formal Voluntarism in Cities with Special Emphasis on Voluntarism After Age 60. Jerusalem: JDC-Brookdale Institute of Gerontology (in Hebrew).Google Scholar
Thompson, P., Itzin, C. and Abendstern, M., 1990. I Don't Feel Old. The Experience of Late Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Thurnhur, M., 1979. Gender Experience and Late Life Transitions. Generations 4(1): 9–10.Google Scholar
Trela, J. and Jackson, D., 1979. Family Life and Community Participation in Old Age. Research on Aging 1: 234–251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Troll, L. E., Miller, S. J. and Atchley, R. C., 1979. Families in Later Life. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc.Google Scholar
Turner, H. B., 1992. Older Volunteers: An Assessment of Two Theories. Educational Gerontology 18(1): 39–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ungerson, C., 1987. ‘The Life Course and Informal Caring: Towards a Typology,’ in Cohen, G. (ed.), Social Change and the Life Course.Google Scholar
Wan, T. T. H., 1982. Stressful Life Events, Social Support Networks, and Gerontological Health. Lexington, Mass.: D. C. Heath.Google Scholar
Ward, R. A., 1979. The Never-Married in Later Life. Journal of Gerontology 34(6): 861–869.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wenger, G. C., 1989. Support Networks in Old Age: Constructing a Typology, in Jefferys, M. (ed.), Growing Old in the Twentieth Century. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Wenger, G. C., 1990. Elderly Carers: The Need for Appropriate Intervention. Ageing and Society 10 (Part 2): 197–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wenger, G. C. and Shahtahmasebi, S., 1990. Variations in Support Networks: Implications for Social Policy, in Mogey, J. (ed.), Aiding and Aging. The Coming Crisis in Support for the Elderly by Kin and State. New York: Greenwood Press.Google Scholar
Yeandle, S., 1987. Married Women at Midlife: Past Experience and Present Change, in Allat, P. et al. (eds.), Women and the Life Cycle. Transitions and Turning Points. London: Macmillan Press.Google Scholar
Young, M. and Willmott, P., 1975. The Symmetrical Family. Harmondsworth: Penguin.Google Scholar
Young, M. and Schuller, T., 1991. Life After Work. The Arrival of the Ageless Society. London: HarperCollins.Google Scholar
Zarit, S. H., Reever, K. E. and Bach-Peterson, J., 1980. Relatives of the Impaired Elderly: Correlates of Feelings of Burden. The Gerontologist 20(6): 649–655.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zarit, S. H. et al. , 1985. Families, Informal Supports, and Alzheimer's Disease: Current Research and Future Agendas. Research on Aging 7(4): 623–644.Google Scholar