ABSTRACT
Women undergoing the major life transition of widowhood are more apt to make a successful adjustment if they have strong supportive ties with others in similar life circumstances. This proposition gains support from a variety of theoretical perspectives including crisis theory (Caplan, 1964), reference-group theory (Hyman, 1942), theories of affiliation (Schachter, 1959), and social comparison processes (Gerard, 1963). As Gottlieb (1981) notes, these theories emphasize the key role played by persons in similar life circumstances for individuals experiencing the difficulties associated with major life transitions and crises. Such peers can best meet the need for sharing and comparing fears and uncertainties, reactions, problems, and problem-solving strategies. Moreover, as Walker, MacBride, & Vachon (1977), Lopata (1973, 1979), and Silverman (1972) have suggested, ties with peers in similar life circumstances can facilitate a widow’s transition to being a single person again by introducing her to members of new networks supportive to her newly acquired needs as a single person, and by helping her learn the norms, standards, and expectations involved in performing her new role.
