Page 104 - IJPS-11-5

International Journal of
Population Studies Older adults, gender, and emotions during pandemic

not kick you out of the building. The fear of brain tricks, one gendered emotional experiences, reinforcing previous
is afraid, panic, and sadness that can turn into depression. research on the socio-affective impact of isolation (Finlay
50 years ago, I had a panic attack, and this week I had et al., 2021; Etchevers et al., 2020). One respondent vividly
something similar for no reason, I realized it, calmed down, described the emotional toll: “The silence in the house is
and attributed it to the quarantine atmosphere.” deafening. I feel like I’m disappearing.” This aligns with
Kemper’s (1987) theory that emotions arise from power
Men with no fear: “I’m sad, it bothers me, I’m somewhat
distressed. Physical problems, a lot that I did not have before dynamics and relational disruptions, highlighting the role
and now have appeared, like the issue with my legs, obesity, of societal structures in shaping emotional experiences.
I have gained a tremendous amount of weight. The fact of In contrast, men prioritized economic and autonomy-
isolation, not being able to have encounters with anyone.” related concerns, reflecting traditional expectations of
men as providers and self-sufficient individuals. A male
The first verbatim reflects an individual’s fear related
to the illness itself, noting how news triggers symptoms respondent stated, “It’s not just about getting sick; it’s about
losing control over my life and my ability to provide.” This
and raises concerns about healthcare practices and social highlights how fear amplifies concerns tied to financial
stigma. They reference past and recent panic attacks,
illustrating the quarantine’s impact on their mental well- responsibility and independence (Capraro & Barcelo,
being. In contrast, the second verbatim portrays a man 2020; Daoust, 2020). These findings reveal how emotional
who feels sadness and frustration due to physical health states like fear influence perceptions of loss differently
issues (leg pain and weight gain) and isolation-related for men and women, with women emphasizing socio-
affective aspects and men focusing on economic and
challenges. While the first individual’s distress is illness- autonomy needs. While these patterns are important, they
focused with psychological implications, the second man’s do not remain static over time. Fear is not a fixed state but
distress centers on physical limitations and reduced social fluctuates in response to evolving circumstances, requiring
contact, highlighting distinct sources of pandemic-related
anxiety. an examination of how individuals navigate emotional
variability and resilience.
4. Discussion 4.2. Fluctuations in fear and emotional resilience
The findings of this study reveal significant gendered The intra-case variation in fear levels with 41% of
differences in emotional responses to the COVID-19 participants experiencing it intermittently points to the
pandemic among older adults in Buenos Aires. Women natural variability of emotions over time in response to the
consistently reported higher levels of fear, primarily linked uncertain and evolving context of the pandemic. Emotional
to socio-affective losses, while men expressed concerns fluctuations in fear responses, as evidenced by these shifts,
rooted in autonomy and economic stability. These resonate with the findings of Özmen et al. (2021) and Khan
differences align with existing research on gender roles and et al. (2021), who observed that individuals’ fear levels rose
emotional labor during crises (Capraro & Barcelo, 2020; and fell with changing public health information, case
Kleinberg et al., 2020; Alsharawy et al., 2021). Quantitative numbers, and personal circumstances. One respondent
data show that 63% of respondents experienced fear at shared, “I started video-calling my family every day. It’s not
some point, with women exhibiting greater consistency the same as being together, but it helps.” This demonstrates
in their reports. Our results highlight not only gender- how adaptive strategies, such as leveraging social networks,
specific emotional responses but also the ways in which can mitigate fears and enhance resilience.
fear is embedded in relational and structural contexts. This
brings us to a key consideration: how fear is shaped by Such fluctuations reflect the concept of emotional
social structures and interpersonal dynamics. plasticity, where individuals adapt their emotional
responses based on situational changes and coping
4.1. Relational and structural dimensions of fear strategies. Studies have noted that exposure to information
Our findings support the idea that emotions are relational about health risks can exacerbate anxiety, while social and
and structural phenomena shaped by cultural and societal family support can mitigate these fears over time (Caycho-
norms (Bericat, 2016). In particular, we observe that Rodríguez et al., 2020).
women, who generally rely more on social connections However, not all individuals possess equal access to
for emotional support, reported greater distress linked to coping resources, a disparity that must be addressed
disruptions in these bonds. The significant differences in in future interventions. While women emphasized the
fear responses between men and women highlight how emotional toll of losing social connections, men reported
shared vulnerabilities during the pandemic translated into a greater focus on disruptions to autonomy, reflecting a

Volume 11 Issue 5 (2025) 98 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.5686