Intimacy and Ageing: New Relationships in Later Life

In this review of Intimacy and Ageing: New Relationships in Later Life the reviewer finds a focused, research-driven examination of repartnering among older adults, best suited for academics, students and professionals in gerontology and social policy. The book's single biggest reason to buy is its comprehensive mapping of how longer lives, changing norms and new technologies reshape later-life relationships; the approach combines sociological framing with empirical attention to intimacy, sex and social integration, making it a useful reference rather than a light read.

Key Features

• Scope: Surveys changing structural conditions of intimacy and ageing, giving readers a clear map of late life repartnering across social contexts.
• Focus on longevity: Explains how longer lives affect relationship careers and choices, which helps readers understand timing and sequence in later-life unions.
• Attention to norms and technology: Considers shifting norms and new technologies, offering useful insights into how modern communication and dating tools change repartnering.
• Sex and intimacy: Discusses the role and meaning of sex in new older-age relationships, filling a gap often left out of policy- oriented studies.
• Social integration perspective: Examines consequences of new unions for social integration, valuable for social scientists and practitioners designing support frameworks.

Who It's For

This book will be most valuable for researchers, graduate students and practitioners in gerontology, sociology and social policy who need a compact but rigorous review of late-life repartnering and intimacy. It is particularly useful for those studying demographic change, relationship trajectories and the social consequences of longer lifespans.

Readers seeking a how-to guide for dating, memoir-style narratives, or an introduction for general audiences should look elsewhere; the text assumes familiarity with social science concepts and prioritizes analysis over anecdote.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Well-focused academic treatment that maps the changing landscape of late life intimacy and repartnering.
• Balanced attention to structural factors, norms and technology, which broadens understanding beyond individual choice.
• Addresses sex and social integration, topics often overlooked in gerontological literature.

Cons

• The book is analytical and scholarly in tone, so it may feel dense to readers outside academia or professional practice.

Specifications

Title	Intimacy and Ageing: New Relationships in Later Life
Series	Ageing in a Global Context
Authors / Editors	Torbjorn Bildtgard, Peter Oberg
Subject areas	Gerontology; Social Sciences; Intimacy and repartnering
Focus topics	Longer lives, changing norms, new technologies, sex, social integration

Our Verdict

Intimacy and Ageing is a focused, scholarly contribution that is worth buying for anyone needing a thoughtful, evidence-informed account of later-life repartnering and intimacy. It offers strong value as a reference for researchers and practitioners, though general readers seeking narrative or practical dating tips will find it less accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book discuss technology and dating in later life?
Yes. It explicitly examines the role of new technologies and how they affect the formation of new relationships among older adults.

Is this a practical dating guide for older adults?
No. The book is an academic exploration of structural conditions and consequences of late-life repartnering rather than a how-to manual.

Who authored this volume?
The work is presented by Torbjorn Bildtgard and Peter Oberg as part of the Ageing in a Global Context series.