Spirituality and Social Support in the Later Stage of Life : Examining Disparities in Gender

The purpose of the present study was to examine the gender differences in spirituality and social support; 200 elderly (100 males and 100 females), ages varying from 60 to 75 years, were selected by purposive sampling technique from various places in Varanasi and Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh. The Spiritual Personality Inventory-Revised and Social Support Scale were used to collect data. Independent sample t-test indicated significant gender differences between male andfemale elderly participants. It ensured that elderly female participants were higher on spirituality and its four dimensions: spiritual virtues, goodness, spiritual services, and moral rectitude. In contrast, elderly male participants were found to have lower levels of spirituality. Still, they were found to have higher scores on two dimensions of spirituality, namely, positive outlook on life and spiritual discipline, than elderly female participants. Further, independent sample t-tests also reported significant gender differences between male andfemale elderly on the level of social support. In this direction, the results reported that scores of elderly male participants were higher on social support and its two dimensions: instrumental and informational support. In contrast, elderly female participants were found to have lower levels of social support but higher scores on one dimension of social support, namely emotional support, compared to elderly male participants. These findings are discussed under various theories and approaches. However, it is essential to note that the study has certain limitations, such as the use of self-reported measures and the limited geographical scope, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.