Network bridging potential in later life: life-course experiences and social network position

Objective. Much work in social gerontology has examined older adults' social connectedness, but we know little about the extent to which older adults occupy positions of power and independence in their networks. The author uses health and life-course frameworks to understand older adults' prospects of occupying bridging positions between otherwise unconnected individuals. Methods. Egocentric social network data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 3,005 older adults between the ages of 57 and 85 in 2005-2006. A series of multivariate regression analyses was used to examine how health and life-course factors relate to bridging. Results. Age is not significantly associated with bridging. However, retirees and people with poor health are less likely to have bridging potential. At the same time, widows are more likely to serve as bridges. Discussion. The discusses the need for more dialogue between social network researchers and social gerontologists to help explain older adults' bridging prospects.