Friendship and Kinship Interaction: Differential Effect on the Morale of the Elderly

The issue examined in this paper is the differential effect of kinship and friendship relationships on the life satisfaction of older peoplM. Interview data from a study of working-class grandparents were examined for their relevance to this issue. The data indicated the relatively greater importance of friends over grandchildren for maintaining morale in old age. Dimensions on which kinship and friiendship relationships can be compared to help explain their differential effect are described and discussed.