Resumen de Material domain and life satisfaction: Portuguese elderly people living alone
Liliana Sousa, Orlanda Ferreira, Rita Grave, Susana Pelayo, Gorete Pereira, Sara Rua
The material domain has an actual impact on people’s life satisfaction. The way this occurs depends on the ideologies, which surround material possessions and money. This exploratory study aims to characterise the material domain profile (values, attitudes and behaviours towards money and material possessions) of elderly men and women living alone and how it affects their life satisfaction. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 96 elderly men and women of low, middle and upper socioeconomic classes. Findings suggest that participants are moderately satisfied with life, tend to be non-materialistic and focus their money ethic and behaviour on budget and savings. Life satisfaction is not correlated with materialism or money ethics and behaviours; nevertheless, income is positively correlated with life satisfaction, particularly in the higher socioeconomic groups. This study suggests that old people are more attached to the symbolic and relational meanings of possessions.
