CONTEXTUALIZING SOCIAL SUPPORT AND HEALTH IN OLD AGE:RECONSIDERING CULTURE AND GENDER

In this paper we develop a conceptual model of the cultural context within which gender and social support affect health among the elderly. We argue that given the highly contextualized and subjective nature of social support, observed associations between social contacts and health cannot be explained using simple survey probes concerning contacts during some period. The research employs two large surveys of older blacks and Hispanics to illustrate the speculative nature of any explanation of the association among various social contacts, disability, and death that are based only on responses to questions concerning the presence or absence of specific contacts. We end with a call for an extension of what is currently common practice in the study of social support and health to include greater attention to the subjective nature of social support and a greater appreciation of the cultural and social contexts within which social support operates to influence the health of older men and women.