This analysis reviews the ways in which both the experience of widowhood in old age and the nature of research on widowhood have changed since the publication of the book Widowhood in Later Life in 1991. Patterns of decline in widowhood in both its duration and incidence in later life are examined. Widowhood research has advanced conceptually by moving beyond understanding widowhood solely in terms of role loss. Life course perspectives, and concepts of multiple narratives and of resilience, have also contributed to the field. New methodologies, including prospective and longitudinal designs involving larger data sets, and more in-depth qualitative studies, have advanced our understanding of complexities and variations in widowhood. These include issues of gender and ethnocultural diversity, as well as the intersection of wealth, health, and class. This article also examines how patterns of labour force affiliation, social policy, and the changing nature of marriage shape widowhood in later life.

Using event history data from the 1990 Canadian Family and Friends Survey, this study examines several factors that influence the likelihood of remarriage for women and men whose first marriages ended in widowhood. Our results suggest that large sex differences in remarriage exist, with ever-widowed men having appreciably higher rates than ever-widowed women. Remarriage rates are shown to vary by indicators of lifecycle and by socio-economic status. The implications of these results are discussed.

Most care of older, ailing or disabled people within the home is carried out by a spouse. This paper examines late life marriage and the gendered consequences of caring for older married people in England. Qualitative interview data are analysed to contrast the sense of autonomy of older men and women while caring for a spouse and after widowhood. By encouraging older people to reflect retrospectively on the meaning of their caring roles, we illuminate the process of adjusting to transitions after long-term marriage. The research data indicate that gendered roles and expectations are crucial in understanding the mainly negative experience of older women as carers, in contrast to the more positive experience of older men.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop, based on the ethnographic method, a research approach aimed at understanding the experience of widowhood as well as the coping strategies used by elderly men and women facing this experience. Ethnographic interviews were conducted at informants' homes, using a semi-structured format developed from a conceptual framework based on a stress and coping model. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded by two independent raters according to the study's conceptual framework and categories generated from the data. Results illustrate that personal factors such as biographical history, centrality of the spouse in personal life and self-efficacy influence the meanings of widowhood and the use of coping strategies; also, contextual factors, namely normative standards and cultural values, seem to have a differential influence on the meanings of widowhood and the coping strategies of widows and widowers. As a coping strategy, seeking social support is related to qualitative characteristics of social resources, more specifically reciprocity and reliability. The research approach developed in this project provides a means to better understand the contextual factors which might explain the great variability of mental health responses of elderly widows and widowers as well as elderly's responses to other stressors in their daily life.