Final answer:
Marcia lives in a neighborhood where the majority of her neighbors are around her own age, offering a supportive social environment. Her active lifestyle defies stereotypes of aging and illustrates the societal shift towards older individuals living independently.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marcia, a 75-year-old widow who has been living in her house for 46 years, enjoys her garden and knows all her neighbors, most of whom are about her age. Marcia lives in a neighborhood where the residents are predominantly within her own age group. This description provides insight into her social environment, which seems to offer a supportive network of peers. Her situation resonates with societal changes in the United States over the past centuries, where now it is more common for older individuals to live apart from their children compared to the multigenerational households of agrarian societies. Importantly, Marcia's active engagement with her surroundings and social life defies certain stereotypes of aging, showing that elderly individuals can maintain a fulfilling and interactive lifestyle.