Abstract:

With the demographic changes that occur in modern societies, the ageing issue has become an important phenomenon for all societies. Especially the increase in the population of singularized elderly individuals reveals the need to focus more on the phenomenon of living alone among elderly individuals. The study aimed to understand how the social, cultural and economic capitals that elderly individuals living alone have had or may not have had throughout their life course have shaped their old age experiences, relationships with their children, their social relationships and leisure time activities and how they affect their life satisfaction. This qualitative study was carried out by applying a semi-structured questionnaire and conducting face to face in-depth interviews with 30 elderly individuals aged 65 and over –eighteen women and twelve men – who live alone in the city and relatively have no health impairments. The study concludes that both social structure and individual actions play an important role in the construction of the ageing process; and social, cultural and economic capitals greatly affect the individuals’ life satisfaction and life quality in old age

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