An Ecological Examination of Older Remarried Couples

Abstract

Remarriage is a growing phenomenon in society. Remarriage and stepfamily dynamics are well documented in early midlife, but such dynamics have yet to be fully recognized or understood with respect to older adults. This is important, given that couples entering remarriage during their later adult years (60+) are likely to face challenges that are unique to their stage of life. As such, this article examines contextual variables as related to later-life remarriage through the lens of the human ecological theory. Clinical implications and future directions are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• remarriage
• couple
• older adult
• human ecological theory

The author would like to thank her doctoral committee for all of their guidance and support.