Abstract
It was proposed that today's older women, who are a low-fertility cohort, have deficiences in their informal support systems due to small families, and consequently, the absence of either sons or daughters in those families. Respondents (N=225) were recent widows, ages 60–89, who resided in a large metropolitan area in the Midwest. Each widow was personally interviewed regarding 10 areas of support that are provided by adult children, other kin, or friends/neighbors. Findings indicated significant differences in the receipt of traditionally male types of support for widows with sons, as compared to those without sons (p<.01), but no differences in the receipt of traditionally female types of support for widows without daughters. In addition, the extent to which persons other than children perform sex-differentiated types of support was explored. Directions for future research are suggested.
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