Singlehood and Perception of Old-age Support

Family has been considered a major source of eldercare (intergenerational care and spousal support) in both academic research and social policies. This is largely premised on the marriage norm. Singlehood tends to be highly stigmatized. As a result, never-married adults generally comprise a small proportion of the population and are portrayed as a vulnerable group in research literature. Despite the rising trend of people remaining single throughout their lives and life longevity, relatively scant research has been devoted to understanding how singlehood in middle adulthood shapes family relations (siblings and other family members) and relations with other social ties as well as how social relations, kin and non-kin, in turn, affect social support availability and preparation for old age. A closer research attention to the social connections, perception of aging, and aging preparation among never-married people is thus warranted.

The present paper reports the preliminary findings of a qualitative study of about 15 never-married adults aged between 40-59, who are mostly college-educated and employed in white-collar jobs. In envisioning old age, the informants strive to maintain independence and autonomy as key components of their lives in old age. This is particularly true among those who have chronic illnesses and caregiving responsibilities for their elderly parents. However, they view physical health deterioration associated with old age as the primary challenge in achieving this goal. While the informants maintain regular contact with their siblings, they do not perceive siblings as a source of support in old age. Some of them do not have close relationships with their siblings, while others believe that their siblings already have the responsibility to take care of their own families. Moreover, the informants do not rely on friends as a major source of support in old age. Many of them consider their personal networks to be small and restrictive, attributing this to the time pressure from work and caregiving responsibilities, which limits the time they have to cultivate friendships. Additionally, they find that their friends are of a similar age, and as a result, would face similar needs and challenges. Therefore, self-care is deemed as the most viable option. They believe that self-care is only viable when one is financially secure and in good health. The informants generally feel that they have an adequate financial reserve for old age, which comes from savings and investments. The most worry comes from unpredictable health changes. Taken together, the elderly care experience, current health status, and social relationships are potential factors that contribute to the diverse views of middle-aged adults towards aging.