Reciprocity Beyond Dyadic Relationships

Abstract

Residing in a long-term care community can provide numerous opportunities for collective identification and cooperative action to address the chronic stressors of aging, including issues of health and well-being. Communal coping, a process that entails the identification of a stressor as “our” issue and “our” responsibility, has traditionally been examined in the context of large-scale natural disasters or war or of family systems. This study examines communal coping behavior among 11 elderly residents of a continuing-care retirement community. Using grounded theory and semistructured interviews, the authors found that respondents engaged in mutually beneficial and supportive behavior toward their peers through reciprocal assistance between roommates, the “buddy system” among neighbors, and the expression of solidarity in aging through “we” talk. Aging stressors often viewed as “individual” in nature can instead be both viewed and addressed in the context of a collectively shared experience.