It's a whole new world: self-esteem and widowhood in older women in a retirement community
Date
2010
Authors
Archibald, Krystle Balhan, author
Vacha-Haase, Tammi, advisor
Fruhauf, Christine A., committee member
Stallones, Lorann, committee member
Rickard, Kathryn Marie, 1957-, committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
With estimates of nearly 50% of all women over age 65 becoming widows, the transition into widowhood is an expected life event for older women (Bradsher, 2001; Hanson & Hayslip, 2000). Nonetheless, widowhood is often an extremely disruptive life event for women, involving loss in many life domains including status, social connections, psychological well-being, and self-esteem (Carr, 2004; Carr, Nesse, & Wortman, 2006; Chamber, 2005). The current interpretive phenomenological study explored widows' lived experiences in relation to their self-esteem after the loss of their spouses. Thirteen women from a retirement community in Arizona were interviewed. A core theme of multiple identity construction emerged from their narratives. Other important subthemes arose from the data including "the widowhood experience," "relationships," "self-esteem definitions and sources," and "independence."
Description
Department Head: Ernest L. Chavez.
Rights Access
Subject
women
widowhood
self-esteem
qualitative
Widowhood -- Social aspects
Widowhood -- Psychological aspects
Self-esteem in women
Self-esteem in old age