Older Women: An Examination of Popular Stereotypes and Research Evidence

The older woman in our society is socially devalued and is subject to a number of harmful, negative stereotypes that picture her as sick, sexless, uninvolved except for church work, and alone. Moreover, when researchers study the aged, they too often fail to analyze the data for females separately from that of males, thus glossing over the differences and losing valuable information. It is possible, however, using data from studies which have used sex as an independent variable, to demythologize the older woman somewhat by separating the characteristics which are uniquely female from those of males and those common to the sexes. This paper, then, examines stereotypical images of the older woman in three major areas: (1) health and longevity; (2) marital status and family roles; and (3) leisure activity. Several unresolved questions and areas for future research are suggested, and the implications of this analysis for such research is discussed.