IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/eujoag/v15y2018i4d10.1007_s10433-017-0454-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social network changes among older Europeans: the role of gender

Author

Listed:
  • Ella Schwartz

    (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

  • Howard Litwin

    (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

Abstract

This study examined changes in the social networks of older Europeans. It utilizes the framework of the socioemotional selectivity theory and the convoy model to explore the social networks’ changes over time, as well as the turnover of specific social network members. Furthermore, the study analyzed gender as a predictor of these transformations. The inquiry focused on older adults aged 65+ who participated in the fourth and sixth waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (n = 13,938). The findings reveal a general trend of network expansion over time, with addition of new members and a higher proportion of family ties. These trends mask considerable individual variability in change trajectories, however. A series of OLS and Poisson regressions revealed that women were more likely to report network growth via addition of new social network members, and lower family involvement. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of older Europeans’ interpersonal milieu. They also underscore the role of gender in social network transformations and show that the dynamics of older Europeans’ personal networks differ for men and women.

Suggested Citation

  • Ella Schwartz & Howard Litwin, 2018. "Social network changes among older Europeans: the role of gender," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 359-367, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:15:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s10433-017-0454-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-017-0454-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10433-017-0454-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10433-017-0454-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kristine J. Ajrouch & Alysia Y. Blandon & Toni C. Antonucci, 2005. "Social Networks Among Men and Women: The Effects of Age and Socioeconomic Status," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 60(6), pages 311-317.
    2. Cornwell, Benjamin & Laumann, Edward O., 2015. "The health benefits of network growth: New evidence from a national survey of older adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 94-106.
    3. Benjamin Cornwell & L. Philip Schumm & Edward O. Laumann & Juyeon Kim & Young-Jin Kim, 2014. "Assessment of Social Network Change in a National Longitudinal Survey," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 69(Suppl_2), pages 75-82.
    4. Benjamin A. Shaw & Neal Krause & Jersey Liang & Joan Bennett, 2007. "Tracking Changes in Social Relations Throughout Late Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(2), pages 90-99.
    5. Lisa L. Barnes & Carlos F. Mendes de Leon & Julia L. Bienias & Denis A. Evans, 2004. "A Longitudinal Study of Black–White Differences in Social Resources," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 59(3), pages 146-153.
    6. Claude S. Fischer & Lauren Beresford, 2015. "Changes in Support Networks in Late Middle Age: The Extension of Gender and Educational Differences," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(1), pages 123-131.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. George Pavlidis & Thomas Hansen & Andreas Motel-Klingebiel & Marja Aartsen, 2022. "Network and solitude satisfaction as modifiers of disadvantages in the quality of life of older persons who are challenged by exclusion from social relations: a gender stratified analysis," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2859-2875, October.
    2. Young Bum Kim & Seung Hee Lee, 2022. "Gender Differences in Correlates of Loneliness among Community-Dwelling Older Koreans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-11, June.
    3. Caroline Fischl & Nina Lindelöf & Helena Lindgren & Ingeborg Nilsson, 2020. "Older adults’ perceptions of contexts surrounding their social participation in a digitalized society—an exploration in rural communities in Northern Sweden," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 281-290, September.
    4. M. Kauppi & M. Virtanen & J. Pentti & V. Aalto & M. Kivimäki & J. Vahtera & S. Stenholm, 2021. "Social network ties before and after retirement: a cohort study," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 503-512, December.
    5. Howard Litwin & Michal Levinsky & Ella Schwartz, 2020. "Network type, transition patterns and well-being among older Europeans," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 241-250, June.
    6. Frauke Meyer-Wyk & Susanne Wurm, 2024. "The role of social network diversity in self-perceptions of aging in later life," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Vanessa Burholt & Bethan Winter & Marja Aartsen & Costas Constantinou & Lena Dahlberg & Villar Feliciano & Jenny Jong Gierveld & Sofie Regenmortel & Charles Waldegrave, 2020. "A critical review and development of a conceptual model of exclusion from social relations for older people," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 3-19, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. M. Kauppi & M. Virtanen & J. Pentti & V. Aalto & M. Kivimäki & J. Vahtera & S. Stenholm, 2021. "Social network ties before and after retirement: a cohort study," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 503-512, December.
    2. Vanessa Burholt & Bethan Winter & Marja Aartsen & Costas Constantinou & Lena Dahlberg & Villar Feliciano & Jenny Jong Gierveld & Sofie Regenmortel & Charles Waldegrave, 2020. "A critical review and development of a conceptual model of exclusion from social relations for older people," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 3-19, March.
    3. Haosen Sun & Markus H Schafer & Jessica Kelley, 2023. "Isolation or Replenishment? The Case of Partner Network Exclusivity and Partner Loss in Later Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 78(4), pages 705-717.
    4. Rosario Fernández-Peña & José Luis Molina & Oliver Valero, 2020. "Satisfaction with Social Support Received from Social Relationships in Cases of Chronic Pain: The Influence of Personal Network Characteristics in Terms of Structure, Composition and Functional Conten," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Frauke Meyer-Wyk & Susanne Wurm, 2024. "The role of social network diversity in self-perceptions of aging in later life," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Yang, Yulin & Huang, Rui & Grol-Prokopczyk, Hanna & Torres, Jacqueline M., 2022. "Social network change after new-onset pain among middle-aged and older European adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    7. Thomas Hansen & Marcela Petrová Kafková & Ruth Katz & Ariela Lowenstein & Sigal Naim & George Pavlidis & Feliciano Villar & Kieran Walsh & Marja Aartsen, 2021. "Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life: Micro- and Macro-Level Patterns and Correlations in a European Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-16, November.
    8. Jin You & Helene Fung & Peter Vitaliano, 2020. "The pattern of social support seeking and its socio-demographic variations among older adults in China," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 341-348, September.
    9. Natalia Arias & María Dolores Calvo & José Alberto Benítez-Andrades & María José Álvarez & Beatriz Alonso-Cortés & Carmen Benavides, 2018. "Socioeconomic Status in Adolescents: A Study of Its Relationship with Overweight and Obesity and Influence on Social Network Configuration," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, September.
    10. Jianliang Nie & Bohan Chen & Yini Liao & Yufeng Wu & Dan Li, 2023. "The Characteristics and the Influencing Factors of Rural Elders’ Social Networks: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-13, February.
    11. Kung, Claryn S. J. & Pudney, Stephen & Shields, Michael A., 2021. "Economic Gradients in Social Health in Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 14731, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Delbosc, Alexa & Mokhtarian, Patricia, 2018. "Face to Facebook: The relationship between social media and social travel," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 20-27.
    13. Isu Cho & Ryan T Daley & Tony J Cunningham & Elizabeth A Kensinger & Angela Gutchess, 2022. "Aging, Empathy, and Prosocial Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 77(4), pages 57-63.
    14. Karen Siedlecki & Timothy Salthouse & Shigehiro Oishi & Sheena Jeswani, 2014. "The Relationship Between Social Support and Subjective Well-Being Across Age," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(2), pages 561-576, June.
    15. Kung, Claryn S.J. & Pudney, Stephen E. & Shields, Michael A., 2022. "Economic gradients in loneliness, social isolation and social support: Evidence from the UK Biobank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    16. Wang, Wei-Pang & Wu, Li-Hsueh & Zhang, Wei & Tsay, Ruey-Ming, 2019. "Culturally-specific productive engagement and self-rated health among Taiwanese older adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 79-86.
    17. Bjornstrom, Eileen E.S. & Kuhl, Danielle C., 2014. "A different look at the epidemiological paradox: Self-rated health, perceived social cohesion, and neighborhood immigrant context," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 118-125.
    18. Yu-soo Jeong & Young-soon Lee, 2022. "The Double Mediating Effect of Family Support and Family Relationship Satisfaction on Self-Compassion and Meaning in Life among Korean Baby Boomers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-14, August.
    19. Michael, Yvonne L. & Nagel, Corey L. & Gold, Rachel & Hillier, Teresa A., 2014. "Does change in the neighborhood environment prevent obesity in older women?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 129-137.
    20. Miika Mäki & Anna Erika Hägglund & Anna Rotkirch & Sangita Kulathinal & Mikko Myrskylä, 2022. "Stable marital histories predict happiness and health across educational groups," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2022-035, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:15:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s10433-017-0454-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.