Living single in late life among African Americans

Abstract

The conceptual literature is scant on the experiences of older single African American adults. We aim to contribute to the scholarship on singlehood within specific populations (e.g., African American) and in particular life phases (e.g., late adulthood). We begin with a presentation of life course theory. We then review literature that underscores the importance of age, resources (i.e., individual, family, social, financial), and stressful events in predicting levels of independence and self-fulfillment as well as loneliness, regret, and dissatisfaction. We focus on the experiences of older single African American adults. Following this discussion, we propose a new conceptual framework of singlehood in late life. We then summarize key points, offer recommendations, and propose future directions.