Cultural Context of Aging

Gero 300

Chapter 6

Aging and Ethnicity

Introduction

• Canada census lists 200 ethnicities in the population. (Stats Can)

• The country is ethnically and racially diverse, therefore the aged population is not homogeneous. 30% of aged members of ethnic/cultural groups.

• Ethnicity influences aging through culture, language, lifestyle, living arrangements, family support, ethnospecific health and social services

• Ethnic groupings are fluid concepts that change with social contexts

Definitions

• Ethnicity-ancestral origin, shared history, language and identity, religion and culture.

• People of the same ethnicity do not always share a common culture-examples

• In the social hierarchy, different ethnicities have different social rankings-this sets up majority and minority groupings, dominances and inequalities.

• French/English dualism p.139 is an exception to this-historical context. People, culture and Nation is not a simple correlation

Ethnicity

• First Nations people have become a minority group even with successive waves of immigrants

• The impact of social status and position in the hierarch affects access to education, labor force, health status, quality of life in old age.

• Moving to another country demands psychological and social adjustments and puts pressure on resources to deal with aging.

• Is ethnic identity lost, retained or strengthened in old age?. Ethnicity is inherited from parents and carried on generationally

Ethnicity

• Each generation encounters different socioeconomic and political differences which impacts the experiences across the life cycle.

• Race• Refers to physical appearance or physical

differences. It is a constructed social phenomenon

• Influence of Race and Ethnicity-Does aging level differences because aging challenges social, psychological and physical boundaries-p141

Ethnicity

• Culture is only a part of ethnicity and culture and ethnicity are not interchangeable

• Culture is not static and is subject to changes in social conditions

• Ethnicity contributes to the ranking in the social structure, where majority groups have advantages-discuss

Ethnicity

• Dominance may lead to inequality

• How do groups become dominant and what impact does this have. Look at ethnicity of the aged and their use of services in society-education, jobs, living arrangements, health status, QOL in old age

• Socio-economics and political power

Race

• Refers to physical appearance, physical differences, people are grouped with similar biological traits

• Race may not distinguish between ethnic groups-African Canadians/those from the Caribbean

• Aging challenges our abilities and cuts across ethnic boundaries

Race and Ethnicity

• Is the “Cross-Over” effect real? • If we identify culturally conditioned values can

we better understand the aging process?• Does ethnicity act as a filter to influence beliefs,

behaviors and interactions with society• Aging in an unfamiliar society can cause stress

and distress. • We have little information about discrimination of

older people from minority groups

Race

• Aging in an unfamiliar ethnic environment can cause distress for older people or it may act as a buffer and provide more social support- discuss how this might happen

Ethnic Origin

• In Canada-First Nations, English, French are charter groups. Immigration in 1910, 50’s, 90’s

• Immigration was to attract workers, displacement, war, political unrest. By 1994 immigrants from Europe-17% from Asia 57%

• 1996 56% of respondents stated ethnic origin British, French, followed by German, Italian, First Nation, Ukrainian, Chinese, Dutch.

• The elderly are still dominated by British and French ancestry.

Ethnic Origin

• The ethnic mix of Canada’s elderly reflects the aging of longer established immigrant populations that arrived in Canada at earlier times. Displacement by war or political unrest

• The ethnic mix of the country is gradually changing categories-see pages 142-148

• Immigration-27% of older people in Canada are immigrants-61% arrived before 1961

• In 1997 only 3% <3,000 people who immigrated were 65 or older.

Immigration

• 80% immigrants family class, 9% refugees, 2% economic class. p148

• Family class-Canadian Citizens can sponsor close relatives

• Economic class come to Canada for business purposes.

• Older people came to Canada to live with their children, better health and social services, political environment.

Immigrants

• Immigrants 65+ came to this country when they were younger than 45, married and had dependent children. Slightly higher levels of education and professional or managerial status.

• In 1996 only 6% of 65+ are members of a visible minority. 40% Chinese, 19% South Asian 18% Black (Note these data are 10 years old)

• New cohorts will be much more diverse. By 2017 the South Asian and combined with Chinese population will be the largest visible minority groups projected to reach 3-4 million.

Immigration

• Wealth, Health (review pages 156-159)and Family Support p 161-163)in older Minorities.

• Poverty is extensive for all minority groups and all are economically worse off than non-minorities

• Elderly women immigrants have lower incomes• Visible minorities do not benefit much from

public or private pension systems.

Immigration

• Visible minorities make up largest proportion of older immigrants to Canada and do not qualify for pensions relying on families for economic support. They often live in multi-generational households and are totally dependent on family for their everyday needs. This can become more difficult if they develop a chronic illness or their adult children have psycho-social problems.

• First Nation seniors have even greater challenges p 145-147

Assimilation and Modernization

• See pages 153-154

• Discuss Pluralism and Language

• What is the impact of multiculturalism on society and on aging?

• Constructing ethnicity-p 155-156

Health

• Fundamentally, immigrants of all ages are healthy on arrival to Canada, but lose this status over time

• Research is showing health varies by ethnic group and specific belief patterns about illness and health care utilization

• Family support-few differences among ethnic groups-South Asians, Southern Europeans provide more help to senior members of their families-filial obligation and co-residency

Policy and Practice

• Implications for Policy and Practice• Services should be culturally sensitive and

integrated with all services for the aged• Barriers include language, lack of knowledge of

services, transportation, financial, ethnically sensitive services and professionals.

• Impact of language barriers