Aging Together in Enduring Couple Relationships: A Life Course Systems Perspective

This article introduces and demonstrates the use of an integrated life course systems perspective to advance the study of the aging processes of couples in enduring relationships. This objective is accomplished by bridging the life course and systems perspectives to conceptualize the couple as a functioning system and to locate couple dynamics within a longitudinal life course context in order to identify multilevel relational mechanisms that explain partners' aging outcomes in their broader socioeconomic and longitudinal context. Informed by this integrated theoretical perspective, testable hypotheses related to aging processes are derived, and analytical methodologies that can advance the research on couple aging processes are demonstrated. Identifying these relationship-health processes and contextual considerations provides insight into leverage points for the development and implementation of prevention and intervention efforts to facilitate positive aging outcomes. Directions for further theoretical and analytical advances in the area of couple aging are discussed.