Romantic Forecasts in Later Life: Older Single Women’s Perspectives on Family and Kin Relationships

Abstract

This study examines the ways in which family and cultural context influence the romantic prospects of rural women in later life. Using a feminist life course perspective, we interviewed 14 single women over the age of 50 years who lived in rural Appalachia. Grounded theory methods were used to analyze in-depth interview data. Contextualized romantic forecasts of midlife and older rural women are presented. We found that women who were highly integrated into an extended family network, typically their own family of origin, had little if any interest in romance in later life. Women who were not highly integrated into a kin network were most hopeful about finding a romantic or marriage partner. We conclude that place-based kin networks mattered in the romantic forecasts of midlife and older single women, and discuss implications for future research.