Relationship Crises of the Elderly—A Subject for Gender Research (or not)?

Abstract

Many couples remain together in retirement even though they have become personally and emotionally estranged. How do partnership crises come about in old age and what can be done to combat them? Michael Vogt attempts an answer to this question by discussing gerontologic, familial-sociologic, and partner-therapeutic approaches and presenting an empirical study on the efficacy of marriage, family, and life counseling. The evaluation is conflicting. On the one hand, the author compiles many interesting scientific details and background information and proves that especially older people can profit from professional partnership counseling. On the other hand, decisive dimensions are in danger of being buried under the plethora of facts that have little systematic order. Notably gender-specific aspects are only mentioned in passing without being devoted an entire chapter.