CLOSENESS, CONFIDING, AND CONTACT AMONG SIBLINGS IN MIDDLE AND LATE ADULTHOOD

The authors examine the impact of gender, marital status, and parent s tatus on emotional closeness, confiding, and contact among siblings in middle and later life. Using data from a multistage quota sample that includes 528 respondents aged 55 and older who have one or more sibli ngs, characteristics of both the respondent and the sibling or sibling network ate studied. Separate analyses am conducted for the entire si bling network and for the sibling of greatest closeness, confiding, an d contact Women and respondents with sisters, the single (never marrie d), and the childless tend to have more active sibling ties than their counterparts. Several control variables (number of siblings, geograph ic proximity, age, and education) are also significant. Emotional clos eness to siblings is an important factor related to confiding and cont act. Findings are discussed in the context of socially proscribed fami lial obligation and emotional attachment as bases for involvement with siblings.