Measuring social interaction of the urban elderly: a methodological synthesis

In general, the gerontological literature has characterized the inner-city elderly, especially those aged residing in single room occupancy hotels, as "isolates" or "loners". However, it is proposed that the notion of isolation is largely a myth and that many studies have been hampered by inadequate research instruments. This paper illustrates: 1) The severe limitations of the traditional measures of determining sociability; 2) How social network analysis can overcome many of the deficiencies of other methods; and 3) How a synthesis of the anthropological and sociological approaches to network analysis can optimize data collection and provide culturally meaningful information.