Gendered meanings of care work within late life marital relationships

Most care of older, ailing or disabled people within the home is carried ou t by a spouse. This paper examines late life marriage and the gendered cons equences of caring for older married people in England. Qualitative intervi ew data are analysed to contrast the sense of autonomy of older men and wom en while caring for a spouse and after widowhood. By encouraging older peop le to reflect retrospectively on the meaning of their caring roles, we illu minate the process of adjusting to transitions after long-term marriage. Th e research data indicate that gendered roles and expectations are crucial i n understanding the mainly negative experience of older women as carers, in contrast to the more positive experience of older men.