Love Stories of Later Life A Narrative Approach to Understanding Romance

by Barusch, Amanda Smith

• ISBN13: 9780195314045
• ISBN10: 0195314042
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-13
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Even with baby boomers retiring and greater media and research attention being lavished on older people, most gerontologists have studiously avoided examining romance among the elderly. Love Stories of Later Life is an appealing and eye-opening remedy to this neglect, as leading gerontologist Amanda Smith Barusch presents original research into what love and romance mean in seniors' lives. The result is a glimpse into a world many people didn't know existed - that of romantic love in later life. Unlike superficial guidebooks that purport to help seniors find a new mate, Love Stories of Later Life integrates theory and the latest research on love and the aging process. Drawing on a wealth of personal narratives collected during a landmark five-year study, the book presents the lived experiences of older adults from all walks of life. It addresses the impact of common age-related changes, both emotional and physical, on romantic relationships, and argues that love continues to sculpt our personalities and our lives, even in life's later decades. Each chapter includes practical tools for the serious student of love, including exercises designed to increase self-awareness and relationship-building as well as annotated lists of suggested reading that are at once comprehensive and accessible. Barusch's fresh perspective, engaging voice, and in-depth qualitative research make Love Stories of Later Life an important contribution to the study of individual lives and the aging process. This book will guide gerontologists, social workers, and counselors as they in turn help their older clients navigate love's challenges.

Author Biography

Amanda Smith Barusch, PhD, has been teaching and researching in the field of aging for over 25 years. Most of those were spent on the faculty of the College of Social Work at the University of Utah. She now serves as Professor and Head of Department of Social Work and Community Development at the University of Otago in New Zealand. She has received numerous academic awards, prizes and fellowships, and her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Administration on Aging, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Love Stories of Later Life	p. 3
Love and Aging	p. 11
Understanding Love: Theory and Research	p. 13
The Aging Self	p. 41
Love's Illusions	p. 61
Infatuation: A Madness Most Discreet	p. 63
Looking for Love	p. 87
Lived Love	p. 101
A Kind of Settled Bliss: Romance in Committed Relationships	p. 103
Supporting Actors: Family, Friends, and Community	p. 123
Love's Disillusions	p. 139
Betrayal and Rejection	p. 141
Love Lost	p. 159
Conclusion: The Romantic Imagination	p. 179
Love in the Literature	p. 183
The Research in Detail	p. 185
Notes	p. 201
Index	p. 217
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