Gender networks and adaptation among an inner-city elderly.

In varied cultural frameworks men and women in old age have shown distinct differences in their ability to engage in social interaction. This article examines the sex differences in social interaction among 133 inner-city elderly living in SRO hotels. Contrary to earlier reports of inner-city elderly women, there was no evidence of pervasive isolation and longitudinal data indicated that SRO women had dynamic networks that allowed for the replacement of lost contacts with new ones. In comparing the sexes there were similarities in the various social network dimensions and the use of these networks to fulfill needs and cope with physical illness. Moreover, the similarities in life histories between the sexes would suggest that as women's life-styles in the general population come to approximate those of men, the social interactions of aging men and women may more closely resemble each other.