Publication details
Ženské a mužské podoby osamělosti ve stáří
| Title in English | Perceptions of loneliness among men and women |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Today's European societies seem to face an "epidemic of loneliness", affecting in particular the oldest and youngest age cohorts and having a major negative impact on the health and well-being of individuals. Loneliness is primarily a subjective feeling, only to a certain extent conditioned by the number and form of social contacts, but having objective negative effects on the health and well-being of seniors. The experience of loneliness is gender-dependent and women show more frequent loneliness than men, which is why it is often perceived as contrary to masculine identity. On the other hand, it is usually women who are the maintainers of social relations in the extended family. At the same time, in old age they are more successful in establishing new close relationships, whether within a wider family or friendly relationships. Loneliness must therefore be understood in the context of individual characteristics, as well as in a situational context. The paper is based on an analysis of 30 interviews with aging men and women who are at risk of loneliness, the vast majority living alone, aged 65-90 years. In accordance with the constructivist approach of grounded theory, loneliness is understood as supremely contextual and gendered. The relationship between biographical events, the form of family and non-family social relationships in old age and the feeling of loneliness is monitored. Attention is paid to the construction and experience of loneliness by seniors themselves and gender differences in their narratives. |
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