scholarly journals The Role of Cultural and Family Values on Social Connectedness and Loneliness among Ethnic Minority Elders

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Garcia Diaz ◽  
Marie Y. Savundranayagam ◽  
Marita Kloseck ◽  
Deborah Fitzsimmons
Author(s):  
Meenaxi Barkataki-Ruscheweyh

In the concluding chapter, I discuss the various strategies that the Tangsa use in Assam to survive as a small ethnic minority group and how performing identity and ethnicity at festivals can be considered to be yet one more such strategy. This leads to a discussion of Tangsa identity, ethnicity, and culture as well as the role of the state and the Assamese ‘other’ in defining what it means to be Tangsa. In a ‘Taking Stock’ section, I list all my shortcomings, and also all that that still needs to be done before some amount of clarity can be achieved in understanding the complex Tangsa picture. The concluding section summarizes my findings to make clear the underlying and undeniable connection between performing ethnicity and negotiating marginalization.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1329878X2110064
Author(s):  
Caroline Fisher ◽  
Sora Park ◽  
Jee Young Lee ◽  
Kate Holland ◽  
Emma John

Social isolation has become a growing issue, particularly among older citizens. The ‘digital divide’ has been identified as one of the contributing factors leaving many older citizens behind. While increasing digital literacy among seniors has been identified as one of the remedies, less attention has been paid to the role of news media on the wellbeing and connectedness of older people. Through the lens of the uses and gratifications theory, this article reports on the findings of a survey of 562 news consumers aged 50 years and above who live in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The analysis highlights the important role of news in reducing feelings of social isolation, particularly for those who spend more time alone and older people with cognitive impairment. Older participants who had difficulty concentrating and learning new tasks were also more dependent on news. We suggest this is due to the habitual, predictable and concise nature of news. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of news in the wellbeing of older people and point to the need for policymakers and those in the aged care sector to ensure access to news for older citizens to improve the quality of life.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110280
Author(s):  
Kate Walsh ◽  
Amanda K. Gilmore ◽  
Simone C. Barr ◽  
Patricia Frazier ◽  
Linda Ledray ◽  
...  

Although recent studies have linked discrimination frequency among Black and Latinx individuals to PTSD symptom severity, to our knowledge, these associations have yet to be examined among a diverse sample of recent rape survivors. The current secondary analysis of existing data examined the role of discrimination experiences in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, and alcohol and drug problems among a racially and ethnically diverse sample of recent rape survivors. Participants were 139 Black (48.2%; n = 67), American Indian (18.7%; n = 26), Hispanic (15.1%; n = 21), and mixed race (17.3%; n = 24) girls and women age 15 or older who presented to the emergency department (ED) for a sexual assault forensic medical exam. They were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions, and completed a six-month postrape follow-up, including questions about mental health, substance use problems, and discrimination experiences. Regression analyses revealed that Black women experienced discrimination in significantly more situations and with greater frequency compared to American Indian and Hispanic women. Discrimination frequency was positively associated with PTSD and depression symptoms even after controlling for age, education, race, and intervention condition, but was not associated with alcohol or drug problems. Findings highlight the importance of attending to the heterogeneous experiences of discrimination among racial and ethnic minority women. Future work should adapt evidence-based early interventions to be maximally effective at combating both racial and sexual trauma exposures.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Abu-Kaf ◽  
Golan Shahar ◽  
Gal Noyman-Veksler ◽  
Beatriz Priel

Elevated levels of depressive and somatic symptoms have been documented among college students. Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the number of Bedouin Arab students studying at institutions of higher education in southern Israel. To date, research on coping and mental health problems among students who are members of this ethnic minority has been limited. This study examined the role of three aspects of perceived social support – availability, satisfaction, and the ability to get emotional support – in predicting depressive and somatic symptoms among Jewish Israeli and Bedouin Arab college students. A total of 89 Bedouin and 101 Jewish first-year students participated in this study, which involved two assessment waves 12 to 14 months apart. Participants completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, somatic complaints, three aspects of perceived social support, and demographics. At Time 1, Bedouin students exhibited higher levels of depressive and somatic symptoms and lower levels of all three aspects of social support. Regression analyses showed that level of emotional support was a prospective predictor of somatization at Time 2. Moreover, when levels of emotional support were low, ethnic group predicted depression at Time 2; emotional support predicted depression only among Bedouin Arabs. The present study highlights the importance of the use of emotional support in predicting somatic complaints and depressive symptoms specifically among Bedouin Arab students. Clinical implications on intervention programs for ethnic minority students will be discussed.


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