Attachments to place over the life course: A phenomenological study of elderly Jewish women's relationships to hom

The author examined the relationships of 5 elderly Jewish women to their homes in the context of their life story to determine the salience of place attachment for them. Specifically, the study sought to reveal the psychological and social factors as well as physical characteristics of places involved in creating or inhibiting an affective attachment to one's immediate environment. The participants in the study were 5 Jewish women between the ages of 78 and 91 living in the same retirement building. The director of the facility screened the women for intact cognitive functioning and stable mental health. The participants then engaged in a semi-structured interview with the author, discussing their lives in as much or as little detail as they chose. They were asked for a residential history and specifically about places to which they felt the greatest and least attachment.;Results indicated varying degrees of place attachment and that not all persons profess strong feelings about the physical environment. It also appears that the concept of place attachment involves cognitive aspects in addition to the affective aspects implied. For some participants, places had been a salient feature of their lives, something that affected their daily lives and happiness. For others, places were merely the backdrop for the events and relationships taking place. The latter participants were those who had not moved a great deal in childhood or adulthood; thus, their home or neighborhood was a stable feature in their lives and did not require conscious thought.;The findings of this study underscore the individuality of elderly persons rather than supporting a notion of a commonality in the needs of all elders. Further research is needed to develop an operational definition of place attachment and a reliable measure of it. This would provide a common thread between the various disciplines studying the concept and support the ongoing research. Further study of the affective relationships that all individuals and the elderly, in particular, have with their homes will aid in appropriate targeting of government services and social programs.