Couple relationships in old age: affective autonomy in older women

Abstract

Rapid population aging challenges traditional conceptions of old age, particularly regarding older women’s affective and relational lives. This study analyzes how older women in Chile reinterpret their experiences of partnership and emotional intimacy in later life. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured narrative interviews with 20 women aged 60 and over. The findings reveal the development of affective autonomy expressed through decisions about relationships, intimacy, and emotional organization. This autonomy emerges as a form of agency in old age, grounded in accumulated experience and in the ability to redefine affective priorities according to personal will.