The authors examine the impact of gender, marital status, and parent status on emotional closeness, confiding, and contact among siblings in middle and later life. Using data from a multistage quota sample that includes 528 respondents aged 55 and older who have one or more siblings, characteristics of both the respondent and the sibling or sibling network are studied. Separate analyses are conducted for the entire sibling network and for the sibling of greatest closeness, confiding, and contact. Women and respondents with sisters, the single (never married), and the childless tend to have more active sibling ties than their counterparts. Several control variables (number of siblings, geographic proximity, age, and education) are also significant. Emotional closeness to siblings is an important factor related to confiding and contact. Findings are discussed in the context of socially proscribed familial obligation and emotional attachment as bases for involvement with siblings.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Allan, G. (1977). Sibling solidarity. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39(1), 177-183.
2.
Andersen, M. L. (1991). Feminism and the American family ideal. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 22(2), 235-246.
3.
Avioli, P.S. (1989). The social support functions of siblings in later life. American Behavioral Scientist, 33(1), 45-57.
4.
Bedford, V. H. (1989). Understanding the value of siblings in old age. American Behavioral Scientist, 33(1), 33-44.
5.
Bossard, J.H.S. , & Boll, E. S. (1956). The large family system. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
6.
Cicirelli, V. G. (1982). Sibling influence throughout the lifespan. In M. E. Lamb & B. Sutton-Smith (Eds.), Sibling relationships: Their nature and significance across the lifespan (pp. 267-284). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
7.
Connidis, I. A. (1983). Integrating qualitative and quantitative methods in survey research on aging: An assessment. Qualitative Sociology, 6, 334-352.
8.
Connidis, I. A. (1989a). Contact between siblings in later life. The Canadian Journal of Sociology, 14(4), 429-441.
9.
Connidis, I. A. (1989b). Family ties and aging. Toronto: Butterworths Canada.
10.
Connidis, I. A. (1989c). Siblings as friends in later life. American Behavioral Scientist, 33(1), 81-93.
11.
Connidis, I. A. (1992). Life transitions and the adult sibling tie: A qualitative study. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54(4), 972-982.
12.
Connidis, I. A. (1994). Sibling support in older age. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 49(6), S309-S317.
13.
Connidis, I. A. , & Davies, L. (1990). Confidants and companions in later life: The place of family and friends. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 45(4), S141-S149.
14.
Connidis, I. A. , & McMullin, J. (1994). Social support in older age: Assessing the impact of marital and parent status. Canadian Journal on Aging, 13(4), 510-527.
15.
Durkheim, E. (1993). The Division of Labor in Society. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
16.
Finch, J. (1989). Family obligations and social change. Cambridge: Polity Press.
17.
Finch, J. , & Mason, J. (1993). Negotiating family responsibilities. London: Tavistock/Routledge.
18.
Fox, B. (1988). Conceptualizing “family”: Definitions and theoretical perspectives. In B. Fox (Ed.), Family bonds and gender divisions (pp. 3-6). Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press.
19.
Gee, E. M. , & Kimball, M. M. (1987). Women and aging. Toronto: Butterworths.
20.
Goetting, A. (1986). The developmental tasks of siblingship over the life cycle. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48(4), 703-714.
21.
Gold, D. T. (1989). Generational solidarity: Conceptual antecedents and consequences. American Behavioral Scientist, 33(1), 19-32.
22.
Jick, T. D. (1979). Mixing qualitative and quantitative methods: Triangulation in action. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24, 602-611.
23.
Lee, G. R. , & Ihinger-Tallman, M. (1980). Sibling interaction and morale: The effects of family relations on older people. Research on Aging, 2(3), 367-391.
24.
Lee, T. R. , Mancini, J. A., & Maxwell, J. W. (1990). Sibling relationships in adulthood: Contact patterns and motivations. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52(2), 431-440.
25.
Leigh, G. K. (1982). Kinship interaction over the family life span. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 44(1), 197-208.
26.
Lever, J. (1981). Multiple methods of data collection: A note of divergence. Urban Life, 10, 199-213.
27.
Longino, Jr., C. F. , & Lipman, A. (1981). Married and spouseless men and women in planned retirement communities: Support network differentials. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 43(1), 169-177.
28.
Matthews, S. H. (1987). Provision of care to old parents: Division of responsibility among adult children. Research on Aging, 9, 45-60.
29.
Matthews, S. H. , Delaney, P. J., & Adamek, M. E. (1989). Male kinship ties: Bonds between adult brothers. American Behavioral Scientist, 33(1), 58-69.
30.
McCallum, J. (1986). Retirement and widowhood transitions. In H. L. Kendig (Ed.), Ageing and families: A social networks perspective (pp. 129-148). Boston: Allen & Unwin.
31.
Mugford, S. , & Kendig, H. L. (1986). Social relations: Networks and ties. In H. L. Kendig (Ed.), Ageing and families: A social networks perspectives (pp. 38-59). Boston: Allen & Unwin.
32.
Parsons, T. (1951). The Social System. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
33.
Rosow, I. (1967). Social integration of the aged. New York: Free Press.
34.
Ross, H. G. , & Milgram, J. I. (1982). Important variables in adult sibling relationships: A qualitative study. In M. E. Lamb & B. Sutton-Smith (Eds.), Sibling relationships: Their nature and significance across the lifespan (pp. 225-249). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
35.
Rossi, A. S. , & Rossi, P. H. (1990). Of human bonding. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
36.
Scott, J. P. (1983). Siblings and other kin. In T. H. Brubaker (Ed.), Family relationships in later life (pp. 47-62). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
37.
Scott, J. P. (1990). Sibling interaction in later life. In T. H. Brubaker (Ed.), Family relationships in later life (2nd ed., pp. 86-99). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
38.
Shanas, E. (1979). Social myth as hypothesis: The case of the family relations of old people. The Gerontologist, 19, 3-9.
39.
Simon, B. L. (1987). Never married women. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
40.
Sprey, J. (1991). Studying adult children and their parents. Marriage and Family Review16(3/4), 221-235.
41.
Statistics Canada . (1992). Catalogue. In Age, sex, and marital status: The nation (pp. 93-310). Ottawa: Minister of Industry, Science and Technology.
42.
Suggs, P. K. (1989). “Predictors of association among older siblings: A Black/White comparison.”American Behavioral Scientist, 33, 70-80.
43.
Troll, L. E. (1986). Introduction. In L. E. Troll (Ed.), Family issues in current gerontology (pp. 301-312). New York: Springer.
44.
White, L. K. , & Riedmann, A. (1992). Ties among adult siblings. Social Forces, 71(1), 85-102.
