Module 12 Flashcards
Western vs Eastern societal aging differences
Western:
*populations generally older
*care by daughters
*few multi-generational households
*reliance on governmental and formal services
Eastern:
*Early stages of population aging in many countries
*principle of filial piety
*care by oldest son
*limited formal services
History of Immigration in Canada
Before 1950 most immigrants were from european countries
*visible minority immigrants were few in number and often encountered racist govt policies and discrimination
1967, Canada developed a points system that rated immigrants on their skills, education, and language rather than ethnicity. While this is a much fairer system, it still does tend to favour immigrants from certain countries and backgrounds
*Asian countries are now the main source of immigrants for Canada
Classes of immigrants in Canada (5)
1) Skilled workers and professionals: high level of skills and education-come to canada for employment-quickly aculture to Canadian lifestyle
2) Business class: investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons who will help build Canadian economy
3) family sponsored: relatives who are sponsored by family member who assumes responsibility for supporting them *may be elderly and experience social isolation
4) provincial nominees: allows provinces to fast-track certain immigrants
5) Temporary workers: come to Canada with a temporary permit- do not usually age in Canada
6) Refugees: usually in poorer health and have experienced traumas in their past
Challenges for immigrant older adutls
*language barriers with accessing services
*lack of culturally sensitive health and social services
*lack of economic security and access to retirement income
Theories of Ethnicity and Aging: Levelling Theory:
Age acts as a leveller and diminished inequalities due to ethnicity in old age *essentially the same as convergence theory
Theories of Ethnicity and Aging: Buffer Theory:
Ethnicity acts as a buffer to the impacts of Aging. Family supports and cultural connections support the older adult through the aging process
Theories of Ethnicity and Aging: Multiple Jeopardy Theory:
Ethnicity is one of multiple factors which can compound to place older adults in jeopardy in old age (including gender, income, health, etc)
*neglects that change over time that takes place
Aboriginal is used to refer to three pop. groups
1)Metis
2)Inuit
3)First Nations
Theories of Inequality and Aging: Stratification Theories
Theories that propose that inequality is the results of social processes which position individuals within the social hierarchy
Class stratification: occurs when individuals are stratified based on their social class (lower, middle, upper)
Theories of Inequality and Aging:
Cumulative Disadvantage theory
proposes inequality is a cumulative process over the life course
Ethnic Minorities in the US, Canada and Europe
experience economic inequality
*cumulative disadvantages experienced over the life course due to:
*racial discrimination
*employment patterns (eg. higher rates of unemployment, lower wage jobs)
*immigration status (which may effect access to benefits and services)
*lower levels of education
*language barriers
Inequality can be transmitted across generations as accumulated wealth is usually passed down from parents to children
Aging Experiences of Older Women
*longer life expectancy
*increased likelihood of experiencing debilitating disease and disability for women
*more likely to live as widows and to live along later in life
Most important difference between financial status of older women and men
Women have less consistent work histories than men (e.g. work interruptions for childcare and caregiving, more likely to work part-time, lower wages, etc) which leads to increased risk of poverty in later life.
Feminization of Poverty:
refers tot he higher risk of poverty for women. Women make up 75% of unattached low-income seniors, and separated/divorced women have the highest rates of poverty
Why do women have lower incomes in old age?
- Traditional expectation and different work patterns: women have different work histories due to family responsibilities and therefore tend to take more part-time work and have more work interruptions
- Structures of Public and Private Pension Plans: women are penalized for work disruptions. Women are also more likely to work for smaller non-unionized companies and be engaged in part-time work which means they are less likely to receive a private pension
- Women are often paid less and hold lower status jobs
*marriage positively impacts the financial situation of women in old age, however, most women will spend some years alone due to divorce or widowhood.
*women who live alone tend to have the lowest income
