Love Stories Of Later Life A Narrative Approach To Understanding Romance Amanda Smith Barusch Barusch by Amanda Smith Barusch [barusch, Amanda Smith] 9780195314045, 0195314042 instant download after payment.

The number of elderly people is growing rapidly all over the world in the year 2000, over 25 million Americans were at least 70 years old and increasingly, these senior citizens are not giving up on love just because Hollywood still focuses on the steamy romances of fresh-faced youths. Withthe first baby boomers turning 60 and technology allowing both better health and better chances of meeting people, via the Internet, this trend will only continue, yet the concept of romance (as opposed to sex) among the elderly has been neglected by gerontologists. This book is the beginning of aremedy to that. Unlike the existing superficial guidebooks for seniors about finding a new mate, it is based on original research that, for the first time, asks seniors what love, romance, and, yes, even sex, mean in their lives. Amanda Barusch, a leading gerontological researcher, conducted over100 in-depth interviews with people from all walks of life, as well as focus groups, essay contests, workshops, discussions, and an Internet survey in which over 300 adults shared their romantic experiences. The result is an inside look at the realities and possibilities of romantic love in laterlife. Describing the creative approaches some seniors are using to satisfy their desire for love, it also accounts for the impact of common age-related changes, both emotional and physical, on romantic relationships. Each chapter begins with a narrative and concludes with relationship-building andself-awareness exercises, and the book as a whole makes liberal use of insights from older singles and couplesstraight, gay, widowed, divorced, urban, rural, minority, content, and lonely. Baruschs fresh perspective, engaging voice, and rich qualitative data will guide gerontologists, socialworkers, and counselors as they help their clients navigate the challenges of love in later life. Anyone with a personal interest will find this an irresistible glimpse of what to expect as age shapes the experience of love.