Resource Variations and Marital Status among Later-Life Elderly

Abstract

The U.S. divorced prevalence rates have increased steadily between the years 1963–2003 for the elderly and pre-elderly cohorts and will likely continue in coming decades. This study utilized Social Exchange principles in evaluating the comparative resource diminutions between female and male elderly divorced and between married and not married elderly. Results suggest that elderly divorced females have fewer financial resources, while having more social and emotional resources than males. Results also suggest that widowed, separated, divorced, and never married elderly have fewer resources than married ones. Separated elderly females notably had the fewest resources.

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