- Email: [email protected]
The information world of retired women
446
Book Reviews
discusses the importance of occupational information, and discusses the methods and criteria for selecting occupation-related sources. He describes briefly the publications and associations that provide reviews and guidelines, the video camera media, computerized systems, and software evaluations. Job seekers on the move wilt find Robert F. Rose’s article “Finding the right place to live: sources of geographic relocation information,” useful. Samuel T. Huang’s article, aimed at the disabled, discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990, including sources for successful employment. This chapter has lengthy references. Barbara Weeg examines the central role played by resumes throughout the selection process, from the initial screening through interviewing and into post-interview candidate evaluation. This chapter has an introduction; gives the method for writing a resume, items to include on resumes, and research data; and has tables and a conclusion. In the final chapter, Marilyn Searson Lary highlights the importance of libraries for cohecting career-oriented materials. She also examines the basic career info~ation titles and sources of employmen& opportunities. Critique: Very few books give guidance for a librarian embarking on a career or for those reentering the workforce. Having worked in a library specializing in career-related materials, this topic seems quite familiar to me. As a seasoned job hunter in library and information science, I thought of reviewing this book to find out how this resource would serve the needs of someone re-entering the profession. This book does provide some guidance to the librarian job seeker, but is not quite adequate. The librarian ‘job hunter’ is virtually ignored in this book. Library schools are closing, the job market is getting tight, and the academic libraries are facing many challenges. Since a large group of trained library professionals are unemployed, relocating, or entering the work force, a section for Iibrary job seekers would have been relevant as weli. Although the editor does manage to include some general information on where librarians can look for tips, he is not very specific. A chapter dealing with a list of sources for library positions would be useful, such as the Library ~o~r~ai, American Libraries, joblines, ALA conference placement center, area newspapers, and online access to jobs in the library field (e.g., Internet). In general, this book is a well thought piece of work, readabie on a journey and very appropriate for these hard times. The basic purpose of the book according to the editor is “to serve as a guide for job seeker in all fields of specialty.” It does address the intended audience, except for overlooking the librarian job seeker. The title is appropriate. The references and bibliography provided at the end of each chapter are of varying length, but appear adequate. The book is in hard cover but does not list the price. It has charts and graphs in two articles. It does not have an index and, in comparing this with other books in the reference series, this omission seems reasonable. Although the contents of this book directs the reader to the relevant chapters, the physical layout of the book can be improved. For instance, the sections are numbered but the chapters are not properly numbered. The reader must read the summ~y in order to understand that it is a chapter. This book can be used as a collection development resource and I highly recommend it. Central Maine Power Co~pony Research & Records Services Augusta, ME
JESSIESATYANESAN
The Information
World of Retired Women. E. A. CHATMAN. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, and London (1992). x f 150 pp., $40.00, ISBN O-313-25492-3, ISSN 0887-3844.
The research reported in this book examines the information needs and information-seeking behaviors of women living alone in a retirement community. An ethnographic study was conducted with the researcher as participant observer. In an ethnographic study “data are collected in social settings that reveal reality as lived by members of those settings” (p. 3). The researcher was awarded a two-year National Science Foundation grant (1987-89) to investigate the information and social worlds of older women. The relevance of the social network theory to information sharing among oIder aduhs was examined. The theory incorporates structural attributes, homogeneity, density, content, and dispersion. The concept of structural attributes relates to the size of each set of social contacts, homogenity to the primary and secondary relationships that make up the network, density to the nature and degree of interaction, content to the social and material resources exchanged, and dispersion to the degree of proximity members have to one another. The site of the research was Garden Towers, a retirement community in Textile Town in the Piedmont area in North Carolina. The facility had been a six-floor hotel and was located near various stores, banks, restaurants, and pharmacies. The monthly rent for a one-bedroom unfurnished apartment was $350.
Book Reviews
447
Data were coilected in two ways: by the researcher immersing herself in the environment of the older women (ethnographic method) and through interviews with 55 of the residents. The typical respondent was 82 years old, widowed for several years, and lived alone. Her family lived in Textile City, and she saw them on an average of once a week. She was a white female, Southern Baptist, with a high school diploma or one year of college education. The retiree had once worked outside the home as secretary, bookkeeper, farmer, teacher, factory worker, nurse, seamstress, laundromat attendant, or cafeteria worker. The average income was $20,000-25,OOO per year. The reason given for being in the retirement home by 26 (47%) of the 55 respondents was that they had moved there to be closer to their children. Thirteen (24%) came to the home because they were in ill health, nine (16%) were “dumped” there, and seven (13%) were afraid to live alone (pp. 6667). Research questions were designed to identify the information needs of women who live alone in retirement communities, to determine how these women become aware of information that can help them, and what role, if any, living in a retirement community plays in the provision of coping or helping information. What the residents share regarding everyday information, factors in the retirement community environment that aid information-seeking behaviors, and factors that might hinder the search for assistance or help were examined. Dealing with loss, death and dying, the aging process, unce~ainty about the future, fear of crime, and loneliness were identified as categories of need for these older women. Residents were dealing with the loss of family members, deterioration of physical and mental health, depleted financial resources, dependence on others for care, and the loss of cherished personal belongings. They were obliged to face their own and loved ones’ deaths, as well as that of other residents. One resident remarked that there was a death a week in the retirement community. An 8dyear-old resident said, in regard to the aging process, “I have accepted being older, so it doesn’t bother me. I’ve been on this earth a long time. Dying wouldn’t bother me a bit” (p. 58). A primary concern about the future was the possibility of being forced to live in a nursing home. They were concerned about becoming helpless or mentally incapacitated. Also, the residents perceived the aging population as more of a target for crime than other populations. Some of the older women coped with loneliness by simply resigning themselves to it, and others identified the loneliest periods of time and tried to underst~d it. One resident remarked in regard to the holidays, seen as a particul~ly lonely time, “. . . there are just us few inmates and a few guards here over the holiday” (p. 10). Some of the women form sexual and intimate relationships with men who are members of Garden Towers, but it was noted that other women disapproved of this behavior, particularly if overt. A first level of information was defined as being of a general nature and offering minimal risk; a second level, of a more selective nature and carrying an element of risk, is appropriate only for the primary social network; and a third level is highly selective and narrowly targeted for caretakers. The residents were concerned that they might become disabled and have to leave Garden Towers, so they were reluctant to disclose information that would reveal disabling health problems. The tension between concealing information and desperately needing help contributed to a network of superficial or unimportant information. They were compelled to appear to cope successfully; thus they were reluctant to seek critical information. In response to a question regarding their feelings about retirement, 71% said they felt positive, but that their state of health was a critical influence. Positive aspects were that they could do as they pleased, had time to enjoy favorite pastimes, and were free of major responsibilities. They fived from day to day without much thought of the future, and were afraid of disability but not death. Their activities included reading, going places, visiting with family and friends, and crafts. With a few exceptions, the researcher concluded that the residents were part of a social network. Neighbors were perceived as secondary sources of support in health and emotional emergencies. Being outside a social network was attributed to self-imposed exile, severe depression, obvious physical or mental deterioration, undesirable behavior, or absence of family members. Other residents would avoid the person who did not have family member visits because they were afraid that individual would become dependent on them. The “closed door” was a demonstration of self-imposed exile, and signalled that the resident was not to be disturbed. If a person behind the “closed door” was not seen for some time, it was acceptable to call the desk and have a staff person check on the resident. It was not uncommon to find that the person had died. Information that residents did not share included private knowledge about ill treatment or psychological abuse by staff, their own deteriorating health, or the undesirability of fellow residents as neighbors. Sources of information included family, neighbors, media (television, books, newspapers, radio), and the in-house library. Doctors, nurses, and legal advisors were identified as sources of informa-
448
Book Reviews
tion regarding health and legal problems. Twenty-six (47%) of the residents said that they did not seek information from anyone; 12 (22%) asked family members; 8 (15%) were self-reliant; 5 (9Vo) asked a member of the medical profession; and 4 (7t70) asked neighbors (p. 378). An examination of public library use revealed that 39 (7 1To) of the residents used the library, which was interpreted to mean the Garden Towers Library (p. 100). Outreach service was provided to the retirement home by the public library. The librarian at the Towers Library was a resident volunteer. Of the users, 47 (87%) did not ask the librarian for information (p. lOl), and 44 (80%) did not perceive the library as a viable source of information (p. 102). Ethical problems for the researcher involved “guilty knowledge” (p. 18), defined as being privy to confidential information, and “dirty hands” (p. 18), the decision not to intervene in a situation in which involvement might have made a difference. “Guilty knowledge” referred to confidential information that one of the residents was systematically hoarding sleeping pills in order to take her own life. The researcher did not share the information with staff or family, and reasoned that the women had asked her not to tell anyone and that her death was not harming others. Even so, she describes the dilemma as . . . “a haunting part of my field experience and I still wonder if I did the right thing” (p. 20). “Dirty hands” involved the decision not to intervene in a situation where she suspected the mistreatment of a resident by a paid companion. The researcher justified noninterference as her responsibility to be a disinterested observer. She chose to meet the requirements of the scientific community and not to interfere or change the natural setting as encountered. The following comment demonstrates the difficulty of this decision. “The image of M. in that room with her companion made further research for that day impossible” (p. 130). The residents perceived themselves to be powerless when dealing with the staff. Questions were raised about how older people acquire information that will help them cope with crucial problems, and the role social caretakers should play in the provision of this information. “And, what factors would lead residents to break self-defensive posture so that they would let people know about their impoverished information world” (p. 139). The study is deemed to be generalizable to other retirement communities with older women who have some degree of independence. The degree to which the residents sought secrecy and were willing to accept adverse consequences for their defensive actions was unique to the population. The researcher concluded that information professionals could assist residents in coping by serving as interlocutor between residents and caretakers. Based on the population examined, a more fitting title could have been, “The Information World of Older (or elderly) Women.” The term ‘retired’ led me to expect subjects who were younger (55+), able to travel and socialize outside the retirement community network. Their information needs would have been vastly different from those identified in this study. The intended audience appears to be information professionals who should take the opportunity to investigate an apparently unique population with specific information requirements, but who are reluctant to disclose their actual needs. The findings are equally important to caretakers who, if they are not aware, should be made to understand that older individuals are afraid to divulge their real needs. One would hope they would attempt to change the perception of the powerful over the powerless. Families should benefit from the definition of their role in the social network in the retirement community. The research design is clearly described and adhered to in a scrupulous manner. Although the index is adequate, inclusion of more terms would have been helpful. The interview schedule is appropriately included, and is crucial to understanding the study. The researcher demonstrates extensive knowledge of the work of other researchers. Her own body of research, investigating the information world of the working poor, is impressive. It includes a comprehensive examination of the social and information needs of janitors, of single mothers involved in temporary jobs sponsored by the Comprehensive Employment Act (CETA), as well as the uncompleted study of unemployed workers. This research adds yet another dimension to Chatman’s studies of populations that have been ignored for too long. The objectivity of the carefully designed research study combined with the dispassionate tone of the report vividly describe a population whose lives are often bleak. They are vulnerable to family, caretakers, and other residents, and are often afraid to seek information that would divulge their inability to cope. This investigation issues a challenge and an opportunity for information professionals.
School of Library and Information University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
Science
JOY M. GREINER
Book Reviews
discusses the importance of occupational information, and discusses the methods and criteria for selecting occupation-related sources. He describes briefly the publications and associations that provide reviews and guidelines, the video camera media, computerized systems, and software evaluations. Job seekers on the move wilt find Robert F. Rose’s article “Finding the right place to live: sources of geographic relocation information,” useful. Samuel T. Huang’s article, aimed at the disabled, discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990, including sources for successful employment. This chapter has lengthy references. Barbara Weeg examines the central role played by resumes throughout the selection process, from the initial screening through interviewing and into post-interview candidate evaluation. This chapter has an introduction; gives the method for writing a resume, items to include on resumes, and research data; and has tables and a conclusion. In the final chapter, Marilyn Searson Lary highlights the importance of libraries for cohecting career-oriented materials. She also examines the basic career info~ation titles and sources of employmen& opportunities. Critique: Very few books give guidance for a librarian embarking on a career or for those reentering the workforce. Having worked in a library specializing in career-related materials, this topic seems quite familiar to me. As a seasoned job hunter in library and information science, I thought of reviewing this book to find out how this resource would serve the needs of someone re-entering the profession. This book does provide some guidance to the librarian job seeker, but is not quite adequate. The librarian ‘job hunter’ is virtually ignored in this book. Library schools are closing, the job market is getting tight, and the academic libraries are facing many challenges. Since a large group of trained library professionals are unemployed, relocating, or entering the work force, a section for Iibrary job seekers would have been relevant as weli. Although the editor does manage to include some general information on where librarians can look for tips, he is not very specific. A chapter dealing with a list of sources for library positions would be useful, such as the Library ~o~r~ai, American Libraries, joblines, ALA conference placement center, area newspapers, and online access to jobs in the library field (e.g., Internet). In general, this book is a well thought piece of work, readabie on a journey and very appropriate for these hard times. The basic purpose of the book according to the editor is “to serve as a guide for job seeker in all fields of specialty.” It does address the intended audience, except for overlooking the librarian job seeker. The title is appropriate. The references and bibliography provided at the end of each chapter are of varying length, but appear adequate. The book is in hard cover but does not list the price. It has charts and graphs in two articles. It does not have an index and, in comparing this with other books in the reference series, this omission seems reasonable. Although the contents of this book directs the reader to the relevant chapters, the physical layout of the book can be improved. For instance, the sections are numbered but the chapters are not properly numbered. The reader must read the summ~y in order to understand that it is a chapter. This book can be used as a collection development resource and I highly recommend it. Central Maine Power Co~pony Research & Records Services Augusta, ME
JESSIESATYANESAN
The Information
World of Retired Women. E. A. CHATMAN. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, and London (1992). x f 150 pp., $40.00, ISBN O-313-25492-3, ISSN 0887-3844.
The research reported in this book examines the information needs and information-seeking behaviors of women living alone in a retirement community. An ethnographic study was conducted with the researcher as participant observer. In an ethnographic study “data are collected in social settings that reveal reality as lived by members of those settings” (p. 3). The researcher was awarded a two-year National Science Foundation grant (1987-89) to investigate the information and social worlds of older women. The relevance of the social network theory to information sharing among oIder aduhs was examined. The theory incorporates structural attributes, homogeneity, density, content, and dispersion. The concept of structural attributes relates to the size of each set of social contacts, homogenity to the primary and secondary relationships that make up the network, density to the nature and degree of interaction, content to the social and material resources exchanged, and dispersion to the degree of proximity members have to one another. The site of the research was Garden Towers, a retirement community in Textile Town in the Piedmont area in North Carolina. The facility had been a six-floor hotel and was located near various stores, banks, restaurants, and pharmacies. The monthly rent for a one-bedroom unfurnished apartment was $350.
Book Reviews
447
Data were coilected in two ways: by the researcher immersing herself in the environment of the older women (ethnographic method) and through interviews with 55 of the residents. The typical respondent was 82 years old, widowed for several years, and lived alone. Her family lived in Textile City, and she saw them on an average of once a week. She was a white female, Southern Baptist, with a high school diploma or one year of college education. The retiree had once worked outside the home as secretary, bookkeeper, farmer, teacher, factory worker, nurse, seamstress, laundromat attendant, or cafeteria worker. The average income was $20,000-25,OOO per year. The reason given for being in the retirement home by 26 (47%) of the 55 respondents was that they had moved there to be closer to their children. Thirteen (24%) came to the home because they were in ill health, nine (16%) were “dumped” there, and seven (13%) were afraid to live alone (pp. 6667). Research questions were designed to identify the information needs of women who live alone in retirement communities, to determine how these women become aware of information that can help them, and what role, if any, living in a retirement community plays in the provision of coping or helping information. What the residents share regarding everyday information, factors in the retirement community environment that aid information-seeking behaviors, and factors that might hinder the search for assistance or help were examined. Dealing with loss, death and dying, the aging process, unce~ainty about the future, fear of crime, and loneliness were identified as categories of need for these older women. Residents were dealing with the loss of family members, deterioration of physical and mental health, depleted financial resources, dependence on others for care, and the loss of cherished personal belongings. They were obliged to face their own and loved ones’ deaths, as well as that of other residents. One resident remarked that there was a death a week in the retirement community. An 8dyear-old resident said, in regard to the aging process, “I have accepted being older, so it doesn’t bother me. I’ve been on this earth a long time. Dying wouldn’t bother me a bit” (p. 58). A primary concern about the future was the possibility of being forced to live in a nursing home. They were concerned about becoming helpless or mentally incapacitated. Also, the residents perceived the aging population as more of a target for crime than other populations. Some of the older women coped with loneliness by simply resigning themselves to it, and others identified the loneliest periods of time and tried to underst~d it. One resident remarked in regard to the holidays, seen as a particul~ly lonely time, “. . . there are just us few inmates and a few guards here over the holiday” (p. 10). Some of the women form sexual and intimate relationships with men who are members of Garden Towers, but it was noted that other women disapproved of this behavior, particularly if overt. A first level of information was defined as being of a general nature and offering minimal risk; a second level, of a more selective nature and carrying an element of risk, is appropriate only for the primary social network; and a third level is highly selective and narrowly targeted for caretakers. The residents were concerned that they might become disabled and have to leave Garden Towers, so they were reluctant to disclose information that would reveal disabling health problems. The tension between concealing information and desperately needing help contributed to a network of superficial or unimportant information. They were compelled to appear to cope successfully; thus they were reluctant to seek critical information. In response to a question regarding their feelings about retirement, 71% said they felt positive, but that their state of health was a critical influence. Positive aspects were that they could do as they pleased, had time to enjoy favorite pastimes, and were free of major responsibilities. They fived from day to day without much thought of the future, and were afraid of disability but not death. Their activities included reading, going places, visiting with family and friends, and crafts. With a few exceptions, the researcher concluded that the residents were part of a social network. Neighbors were perceived as secondary sources of support in health and emotional emergencies. Being outside a social network was attributed to self-imposed exile, severe depression, obvious physical or mental deterioration, undesirable behavior, or absence of family members. Other residents would avoid the person who did not have family member visits because they were afraid that individual would become dependent on them. The “closed door” was a demonstration of self-imposed exile, and signalled that the resident was not to be disturbed. If a person behind the “closed door” was not seen for some time, it was acceptable to call the desk and have a staff person check on the resident. It was not uncommon to find that the person had died. Information that residents did not share included private knowledge about ill treatment or psychological abuse by staff, their own deteriorating health, or the undesirability of fellow residents as neighbors. Sources of information included family, neighbors, media (television, books, newspapers, radio), and the in-house library. Doctors, nurses, and legal advisors were identified as sources of informa-
448
Book Reviews
tion regarding health and legal problems. Twenty-six (47%) of the residents said that they did not seek information from anyone; 12 (22%) asked family members; 8 (15%) were self-reliant; 5 (9Vo) asked a member of the medical profession; and 4 (7t70) asked neighbors (p. 378). An examination of public library use revealed that 39 (7 1To) of the residents used the library, which was interpreted to mean the Garden Towers Library (p. 100). Outreach service was provided to the retirement home by the public library. The librarian at the Towers Library was a resident volunteer. Of the users, 47 (87%) did not ask the librarian for information (p. lOl), and 44 (80%) did not perceive the library as a viable source of information (p. 102). Ethical problems for the researcher involved “guilty knowledge” (p. 18), defined as being privy to confidential information, and “dirty hands” (p. 18), the decision not to intervene in a situation in which involvement might have made a difference. “Guilty knowledge” referred to confidential information that one of the residents was systematically hoarding sleeping pills in order to take her own life. The researcher did not share the information with staff or family, and reasoned that the women had asked her not to tell anyone and that her death was not harming others. Even so, she describes the dilemma as . . . “a haunting part of my field experience and I still wonder if I did the right thing” (p. 20). “Dirty hands” involved the decision not to intervene in a situation where she suspected the mistreatment of a resident by a paid companion. The researcher justified noninterference as her responsibility to be a disinterested observer. She chose to meet the requirements of the scientific community and not to interfere or change the natural setting as encountered. The following comment demonstrates the difficulty of this decision. “The image of M. in that room with her companion made further research for that day impossible” (p. 130). The residents perceived themselves to be powerless when dealing with the staff. Questions were raised about how older people acquire information that will help them cope with crucial problems, and the role social caretakers should play in the provision of this information. “And, what factors would lead residents to break self-defensive posture so that they would let people know about their impoverished information world” (p. 139). The study is deemed to be generalizable to other retirement communities with older women who have some degree of independence. The degree to which the residents sought secrecy and were willing to accept adverse consequences for their defensive actions was unique to the population. The researcher concluded that information professionals could assist residents in coping by serving as interlocutor between residents and caretakers. Based on the population examined, a more fitting title could have been, “The Information World of Older (or elderly) Women.” The term ‘retired’ led me to expect subjects who were younger (55+), able to travel and socialize outside the retirement community network. Their information needs would have been vastly different from those identified in this study. The intended audience appears to be information professionals who should take the opportunity to investigate an apparently unique population with specific information requirements, but who are reluctant to disclose their actual needs. The findings are equally important to caretakers who, if they are not aware, should be made to understand that older individuals are afraid to divulge their real needs. One would hope they would attempt to change the perception of the powerful over the powerless. Families should benefit from the definition of their role in the social network in the retirement community. The research design is clearly described and adhered to in a scrupulous manner. Although the index is adequate, inclusion of more terms would have been helpful. The interview schedule is appropriately included, and is crucial to understanding the study. The researcher demonstrates extensive knowledge of the work of other researchers. Her own body of research, investigating the information world of the working poor, is impressive. It includes a comprehensive examination of the social and information needs of janitors, of single mothers involved in temporary jobs sponsored by the Comprehensive Employment Act (CETA), as well as the uncompleted study of unemployed workers. This research adds yet another dimension to Chatman’s studies of populations that have been ignored for too long. The objectivity of the carefully designed research study combined with the dispassionate tone of the report vividly describe a population whose lives are often bleak. They are vulnerable to family, caretakers, and other residents, and are often afraid to seek information that would divulge their inability to cope. This investigation issues a challenge and an opportunity for information professionals.
School of Library and Information University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
Science
JOY M. GREINER