Dyadic Experiences of Love in Late-Life Repartnering Relationships

Koren, Chaya

doi:10.1177/0192513x211031520

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Late-life repartnering in Israel is a possibility but is not officially recognized. It is mostly experienced as essentially different in comparison to a long-term marriage, opening new life opportunities with unique forms of love (Koren, 2021). Acceptance of the phenomenon is enhanced when the partner contributes to care for an older parent/grandparent (Koren & Simhi, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The experience of late life remarriage and its meaning for older Arab Muslim widowed men in Israel

Koren

Ali-Morshed

2022

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Late-life remarriage is one form of repartnering later in life, a phenomenon that has developed with the increase in life expectancy and other modernization processes, such as the shift from an extended to a nuclear family structure. Knowledge on the phenomenon of repartnering is based on research conducted mainly within Western societies living by individualistic values. It has also been studied in societies such as Israel, which value self-determination alongside familism. How the phenomenon is experienced within a more patriarchal, collectivist society undergoing modernization processes, such as the Arab Muslim society in Israel, is yet to be explored. The aim was to understand the meaning of late-life remarriage and how it is experienced among older Arab Muslim widowers in Israel who remarried at old age after a long-term marriage and raising a family. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 Arab Muslim widowers aged 70–80 at time of remarriage, to never-married, middle-aged women. Three themes were identified: The first theme addresses motivations for remarriage, the second theme examines continuity and change from a lifelong marriage, and the third theme refers to the meaning they attribute to their current wife. Each theme addresses participants’ inner world, their relationship with spouse and offspring, and their perception of the society they belong to. Conclusions address late-life remarriage as a solution for older widowers to receive care within the extended collectivist family. Thus, the phenomenon reflects a reaction to modernization processes alongside a way to preserve patriarchal gender roles.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The experience of late life remarriage and its meaning for older Arab Muslim widowed men in Israel

Koren

Ali-Morshed

2022

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Widows and the termination of the gender contract

Manor

2023

Ageing and Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Widowhood is often described through stereotypes and images of passive, weak, lonely and dependent women. This study presents additional aspects of widows who have chosen to continue their lives without a new spouse. It thus joins the recently growing body of knowledge which presents widowhood in a less one-dimensional way while referring to the complexity and different layers of widows' lives. A qualitative study was conducted with 30 women aged 63–87 who had been widows for 1–34 years. The findings showed that the dominant experience shared by all women is one of liberation and freedom – a feeling of independence that is expressed socially, personally and economically. Thus, alongside feelings of loneliness and adaptation difficulties, they also experience strength and empowerment. The term ‘gender contract’ serves as a theoretical explanation of the independence narrative that characterises the widows; the termination of the couple's gender contract allows them to redefine their priorities, identify themselves as active instead of passive figures and create for themselves a place of their own. By bringing widowhood to the centre of the discussion, the study gives legitimacy to a discourse on feelings less spoken about, such as relief, freedom and independence. In this way, the study contributes to the ongoing debate on widows by shattering the accepted myth of widows as vulnerable, weak and dependent but without underestimating the difficulties or ignoring the women's diversity.

show abstract

Relationship intimacy in older couples when one partner has mild cognitive impairment: A qualitative study

Barak,

Levkovich,

Ayalon

2024

Family Relations

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveIn this research, we examine perceptions of couple relationships and intimacy among older couples when one partner is diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), based on ambiguous loss theory.BackgroundMany studies have examined couples with one partner affected by dementia, yet few have explored intimacy when the affected partner is diagnosed with MCI.MethodA qualitative‐phenomenological approach in which data were collected through in‐depth, semistructured, face‐to‐face interviews with 16 men and women aged 67–90.ResultsThe nondiagnosed partners live in the present while acknowledging the changes caused by aging and the diagnosis. In contrast, the diagnosed partners tend to live in the past. In line with ambiguous loss theory, the nondiagnosed partners reported that their diagnosed spouses are physically present yet many aspects of their personalities are partially absent.ConclusionThe findings reveal two patterns of coping with the consequences of loss. Understanding these relationships offers insights into how to care for individuals with MCI.ImplicationsThe results highlight that individuals with MCI and their partners do not invariably constitute a homogenous group, necessitating a critical appraisal of partners' roles and expectations before initiating therapeutic interventions.

show abstract

Dyadic Experiences of Love in Late-Life Repartnering Relationships

Cited by 4 publications

References 50 publications

The experience of late life remarriage and its meaning for older Arab Muslim widowed men in Israel

The experience of late life remarriage and its meaning for older Arab Muslim widowed men in Israel

Widows and the termination of the gender contract

Relationship intimacy in older couples when one partner has mild cognitive impairment: A qualitative study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About