Interactions with Family and Friends

Standardized indices were used to compare frequency of interaction outside the household with various types of kin and with friends for 131 married, widowed, or never-married older women who had retired from professional or clerical employment. Widows from both occupational backgrounds had the highest levels of interaction with friends and with primary relatives (parents, siblings, and children). These results call into question earlier studies reporting on the social isolation of widows. Compared to clerical women, professional women generally interacted more with primary relatives and friends, but less with extended kin. Never-married professional women were relatively high in interaction with extended kin while never-married clerical women had low interaction with extended kin. Other comparisons are discussed, and several implications for further research are introduced.