Living Arrangements of American Urban Widows

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Abstract
This paper is devoted to the examination of the residential arrangements of widows and of the reasons they do not live with married children. It is based on interviews with a modified area probability sample of 301 widows, aged 50 and over, residing in metropolitan Chicago. The conclusion of the analyses is that older widows expect problems in living with married children or are enjoying the ease and independence of living alone sufficiently to offset its disadvantages. Although one-quarter of the widows live in arrangements which they do not like, in terms of sharing a residence, most express satisfaction with their current location. The tendency toward, and satisfaction with, independent living is associated with age, education, and attitudes toward selected social relations, particularly toward children. Widows sharing a residence tend to be with never married children or those undergoing a disorganization of their marriage and to be the head of such a household. Very few Chicago area widows live in three-generation families.

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