What is it like to be an isolated old widow, living alone on the bare old-age pension? In the 1960s, the question had become a standard refrain. Originally published in 1966, this was the first full-length study by a sociologist of isolation in old age.
Although the majority of old people were in no sense a problem group at the time, a substantial minority of the elderly were ‘alone’ in one or more ways. About 1.3 million people aged sixty-five and over in Britain lived alone; a large number admitted to feeling lonely, at least sometime. About a million were actually socially isolated in terms of low level and frequency of social contact. Mr Tunstall also uses a fourth category of aloneness – namely anomie (as developed by Durkheim, Merton, and Srole).
This report uses careful and statistical analysis of the four types of aloneness and of specially affected groups such as the single, the recently widowed, and the housebound. But it also includes details of interviews with ten highly individual old people from suburban Harrow, booming Northampton, industrial revolution Oldham, and rural South Norfolk.
The book contains a discussion of the problem of personality in isolation, and a commentary on the inadequacies of social theory about old age. Finally, the concluding chapter suggests a wide variety of policy measures which might help to alleviate social isolation in old age.
I. Introduction and Summary Part I: Forms of Being Alone II. Living Alone III. Social Isolation IV. Loneliness V. Anomie Part II: Groups at Risk VI. Single VII. Recently Widowed VIII. Housebound Part III: Private Pursuits and Public Provision IX. Use of Time X. Money XI. Social Services Part IV: Discussion XII. Personality XIII. Social Theory XIV. Social Policy. Selected Bibliography. Appendix 1: Method. Appendix 2: Questionnaires. Appendix 3: Scoring Social Isolation. Index.
Biography
Jeremy Tunstall
Reviews for the original 1966 edition:
‘There are about one and a third million people in Britain over 65 who live alone and for whom – even if they are physically able to look after themselves – loneliness is an acute emotional problem. As in America, this state of affairs seems to be concomitant with an affluent urban society, and too little is done about it. Mr Tunstall’s work should be of the first importance to doctors and social workers’. – Sunday Times
‘This is a thoughtful and well conceived book, which contains a great deal of useful information on loneliness and isolation. The evils and difficulties which derive from lack of co-ordination between the various services are well set out, and it is to be hoped that the book will help in leading to an improvement in the future’. – The Times Literary Supplement
‘This book should be studied both by those responsible for the statutory services, especially local authorities, and those engaged in the voluntary services. If studied, and acted on, the lot of many old people, and especially the very old and isolated, should be considerably improved.’ – Social Service Quarterly
