A phenomenological study of romantic love for women in late life

Abstract

ABSTRACTRomantic love in late life is often beneficial, though not without challenges. Financial concerns and objections of adult children can interfere with a late-life individual’s decision to commit to a romantic relationship. In this study, the experience of romantic love for women who enter committed relationships in later life was examined. Fourteen women between the ages of 65 and 84 who had lived the experience of romantic love in late life were interviewed. By using Moustakas’s qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological method, several themes emerged to provide a description of the phenomena. These themes included openness to experience, attraction, commitment, adjournment, and generativity. According to the findings of this study, women in late life who form committed romantic love relationships negate the physical and emotional effects of loneliness brought about by bereavement or single status in late-life women. In addition, this study found these women were attracted to partners to fulfill their needs for love, esteem, spiritual connection, and self-actualization.