[Social problems of single elderly women in West Germany. Problems and results of an empirical research into their position of life].

The article is concerned with a socio-political point of view of this question and thereby reports upon results of an empirical research study on the situation of aged women living alone in three big cities of the Federal Republic. At first it is shown that the financial problems of aged women are due to the structure of the West German social security system. Secondly it is tried to prove that the degree of social integration of aged women is determined by their economic status and by their sex-role-defined socialisation and education. The article ends in discussing the social needs of aged women living alone and in proposing short- and long-dated socio-political measures to improve their social situation.