Letter-Exchange

 

Why are we doing a letter exchange on love in later life?

We would love to correspond with Scottish residents, aged 60+ about their individual experiences of love.    

Writing about lived experience is a process that involves decision-making and self-awareness The letter exchange will be particularly significant for our understanding of love in later life.  The collaborative dialogue between you and the Getting On… team will help us further explore love in later life.

This will be small-scale study drawing on letters or emails exchanged with, ideally, 3 individuals of 60+ in relationships of long standing (14 years or more); 3 individuals of 60+ living in new relationships established after the age of 60 years; and 3 singles (of 60+) either living alone or looking for a new relationship. The insights from this part of the project will set the agenda for a future research protocol. 

As participation in the letter exchange will involve describing your past emotional life, discussion of these matters will be done with full sensitivity. To protect your privacy identity, participants will be provided with pseudonyms.

How does it work?

This method encourages participants to reveal their own experiences, without intervention, in their own time, and on their terms. 

The process

The process will begin with a few gentle prompts, mainly to encourage you to consider what’s important to you about your experience of love, and love in later life.

  • Everyday life in the present
  • Current Relationship biography or status
  • Past relationships
  • Future perspectives and/or relationship aspirations

When and how

Letter exchanges will take place between March and July. Participants should expect a commitment of up to three letters.

Letters will be excepted via post or email and facilitators will respond to every letter. 

How to sign up

If you are interested in taking part in the letter exchange, we would love to hear from you by Friday 21st March. Email us using the subject header 'Letter Exchange'. 

Email: loveinlaterlife@strath.ac.uk

Other ways to get involved