Intimacy in Later Life

This work explores how older people think and behave in relation to partner change. It considers the choices and constraints that influence decisions about new romantic relationships after divorce or the death of a spouse, along with how these differ with respect to age, gender and culture.

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To love and be loved is arguably one of the most powerful and fundamental driving forces sustaining self-esteem and self-identity throughout the life course. Need for reciprocal loving does not change as we grow older, despite failures of health, loss of a partner, late divorce, and alterations of personality due to the aging process. However, most studies of human sexuality have ignored the problems and developing patterns of older adults entering into new partnerships. To fill this gap, Intimacy in Later Life brings together a wide range of distinguished international scholars to address this neglected research area.