Joan M. Rawlins Women from midlife: coping in Jamaica
a study of power in the lives of women aged 50-74 in Jamaica
Gedrukt boek
This study investigates, analyses and comments on the lives of two hundred Jamaican women aged 50-74 years. These women are referred to as women from midlife. The women were chosen from two communities in the capital city, Kingston. One community was working-class the other was a middle-class community. The methods of investigation were a questionnaire survey in which all the women were interviewed, and case studies in which twenty five women were selected for in-depth repeat interviews. The study revealed that these women make an important contribution to the society, by way of their family life, and to the economy through their work in and outside the home. Although the offspring of these women are grown, some of them continue to reside in the parental home because of their economic difficulties. The study revealed that even those who no longer reside with their mothers, benefit from the continued interaction with these mothers especially in the area of unpaid household management and child care. Yet despite all these women do, their contribution is taken for granted by family and state, and they are not given the type of support which it is expected that they would be given, bearing in mind the various tasks which have been allocated to them. The relationship of power in these women's family life, and in their work situation, in and ouside the home were analysed. We also eximined power in these women lives as they made use of the available health facilities, and as they considered their own health. Widowhood is an important factor in the lives of women of this age group. This study analysed the importance of discursive power in relation to widowhood and revealed that some women respond quite differently from what might be expected given the dominant discourses of widowhood. This study showed that this age group of women is a very interesting and resourceful group whose contribution to the society is most definitly underrated.