Mother-Daughter Relationships in Later Life

Given the longer life span of women and the matriarchal emphasis in our society, the mother-daughter relationship has great significance in later life. This paper reports on a research study that surveyed a purposive-nor probability sample of 75 mother-daughter pairs. Exploration was made of their helping patterns, the quality of their past and present relationship, their attitudes toward aging and the environmental context within which these factors develop. Myths of alienation withstanding, the findings indicate that mother-daughter relationships in later life are characterized by mutuality, interdependence and positive connection.