Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life

What does it mean to be in solitude? Researchers building this nascent field are learning much about the potential affordances of solitude, but lack an agreed-upon definition or set of definitions. Arriving at that meaning is crucial to forming a solid foundation for studies that use both naturalistic and laboratory designs to explore outcomes of solitude. This study identified themes from semi-structured interviews with adults aged 19 to 80 from diverse backgrounds. We concluded that solitude is a state in which the dominant relationship is with the self. If not physically alone, people in solitude are mentally distanced from others and away from active technology-mediated interactions. Complete solitude involves both physical separation and inner focus, but solitude is best defined through a taxonomy that recognizes physical separation and internal focus as independent, sufficient characteristics. An internal focus benefits from (but is not defined by) balancing solitude with social time, quiet, and choice.

"They're in My Heart, Mind, and Cells": What Continuing Bonds Reveal About Social Networks

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Research suggests that robust social networks have positive effects on peoples' well-being. An instrumental methodology for studying networks is the social convoy model, a diagram of concentric circles that illustrate network size, structure, and satisfaction. Convoys have been described as dynamic. Specifically, as people age, their convoys become stronger and smaller due to focusing on what matters most and accumulating losses. Therefore, convoys only include meaningful, living persons. The continuing bonds model posits that it is normal for people to maintain connections with the deceased. The objective of the current study was to integrate the social convoy and continuing bonds models in order to examine the presence of deceased loved ones in convoys.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Eighteen individuals (M = 66 years), recruited via fliers and snowball sampling, participated in one semistructured interview regarding the death of a loved one and their convoy. Participants also completed a convoy model, identifying where the deceased fit (if anywhere) when they were alive and at present. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged: communication (i.e., writing or speaking to the deceased), continuity (i.e., a continuing relationship), and reciprocity (i.e., perceived exchange of support(s)). Eighty-nine percent of participants felt their loved one's death did not change their convoy presence and 88% reported that their positioning in the convoy remained unchanged.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

This research offers a new way to think about convoys and may prompt the development of supportive interventions for bereaved individuals.

Job Satisfaction: Insights from Home Support Care Workers in Three Canadian Jurisdictions

Cette étude, utilisant des méthodes mixtes, a permis de déterminer les caractéristiques personnelles et professionnelles qui déterminent la satisfaction au travail des travailleurs de soutien à domicile (TSD) qui offrent de l’aide aux personnes âgées. Les données étaient fondées sur une mesure normalisée de la satisfaction au travail ainsi que sur des entretiens qualitatifs et approfondis avec 176 travailleurs de soutien à domicile de trois administrations provinciales canadiennes (Colombie-Britannique, n = 108; Ontario, n = 28; Nouvelle-Écosse, n = 40). Nous nous attendions à ce que la variabilité des profils démographiques parmi les trois groupes de travailleurs et des différentes fiches de poste soit associées à des différences dans la perception de satisfaction professionnelle. Ce n’était pas le cas. Les résultats de l’analyse qualitative mettent en lumière les principaux domaines qui ont contribué à la satisfaction au travail. Ces domaines concernent le travail (horaires, voyages d’affaires et sécurité), les questions économiques (sécurité de revenu) ou organisationnelles (communication, soutien et respect). Compte tenu de ces constatations, nous recommandons des améliorations en ce qui concerne la communication au lieu de travail, une plus grande marge de temps de déplacement entre les clients et la parité salariale avec des postes équivalents dans les établissements de soins de longue durée.

Qualitative Research in the CJA/RCV: An 18-Year Analysis (1995-2012)

Some researchers have suggested that qualitative research is increasing in the gerontology field, but little systematic analysis has tested this assertion. Using the Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement as a case study, we analysed articles reporting on original research from 1995 to 2012. One in four articles were qualitative, and results in three-year intervals show a clear increase in qualitative research findings during this 18-year time frame: (a) 1995-1997: 10 per cent; (b) 1998-2000: 19 per cent; (c) 2001-2003: 25 per cent; (d) 2004-2006: 25 per cent; (e) 2007-2009: 29 per cent; and (f) 2010-2012: 43 per cent. In all time intervals (with the exception of 2004-2006), French language articles were more likely to use a qualitative research design compared to English language articles. Topics, methodologies, and data collection strategies are also discussed.

Moving from ambivalence to certainty: older same-sex couples marry in Canada

A qualitative study, within a life course perspective, explored the transition into marriage for mid- to later-life same-sex couples. Twenty individuals (representing 11 couples) were interviewed - 12 lesbians, seven gay men, and one bisexual man. At the time of their marriages, participants were between 42 and 72 years old (average age: 54) and had been with their partners from six months to 19 years (average: 7.5 years). Three processes highlighted the ways in which these same-sex couples' experiences of deciding to marry were influenced by their life course experiences. First, individuals had to integrate marriage into their psyches (integration). Second, they had to consider why they would marry their specific partner (rationale). Third, the study participants demonstrated how their experiences of wedding planning and their wedding characteristics were imbued with intentionality as a result of lifetime experiences of homophobia and/or heterosexism (intentionality).

Caregiving for Older Latinos at End of Life

This study examined the various settings in which caregiving occurred for terminally ill older Latinos. Qualitative data were collected in Central Florida through in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews. 20 Latinos caring for terminally ill Latinos participated in the study. N = 9 Latino family (unpaid) caregivers provided care in the terminally ill person's home, while N = 4 provided care to a family member in the caregiver's home. N = 4 paid caregivers provided care to terminally ill Latinos who reside in the caregiver's private home and N = 3 in an assisted-living facility. The themes indicate that family (unpaid) caregivers experienced changes in their financial status; they both encountered English language barriers. Geographical distance made caregiving more challenging. Paid caregivers adapted to cultural expectations and their higher income enabled them to hire assistance.