scholarly journals Civic Participation Among Latinx and African American Older Adults, an Intersectionality Life-Course Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 398-398
Author(s):  
Laurent Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Civic Participation ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Historical Structures ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Do So ◽  
African American Older Adults

Abstract Older adults’ civic participation has received considerable attention, but most scholarship has focused on formal volunteerism and voting. The literature shows that rates of voting and volunteering have been consistently lower among African Americans and Latinx older adults compared to their White counterparts. However, little research has explored civic participation in the context of historical structures of inequality that exclude these populations from participating in formal civic activities and continue to do so today. In addition, other civic activities are going unrecognized. To understand civic participation through the lens of Latinx and African American older adults I draw from intersectional life course perspective to contextualize participants’ lived experiences across the life course and within historical and current socio-political space in which they live and participate. Study’s findings could improve conceptualizations and measurements of civic participation for future studies, and inform efforts to support civic participation among these populations.

scholarly journals Utility of the Life Course Perspective in Research With Mexican American Caregivers of Older Adults

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronwynne C. Evans ◽  
Neva Crogan ◽  
Michael Belyea ◽  
David Coon
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Mexican American ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
The Life Course

scholarly journals Older Latinx and African Americans’ Experiences of Civic Participation

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 727-728
Author(s):  
Laurent Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Civic Participation ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Depth Interviews

Abstract By 2030 Latinx and African Americans are expected to be the largest non-White groups of older adults. In the past 20 years, older adults’ civic participation has received considerable attention. However, until now most scholarship has focused on formal volunteerism and voting, activities that remain inaccessible to many marginalized groups. As a consequence, other civic activities are going unrecognized. The aim of this study is to understand how civic participation is experienced throughout the lives of 24 African American and Latinx adults 60+ living in New Jersey. Because civic participation is a concept that has many names and meanings depending on culture, language, and history I employ photo-elicitation techniques followed by in-depth interviews to understand civic participation through participants’ lens. Findings from this study can serve to improve conceptualizations and measurements of civic participation for future studies and inform efforts to strengthen civic participation among these populations. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Qualitative Research Interest Group.

scholarly journals CULTURAL MOTIVATION TO VOLUNTEER AMONG OLDER JEWISH ADULTS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S646-S646
Author(s):  
Eireann O’Dea ◽  
and Andrew Wister
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Jewish Community ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Anti Semitism ◽  
Family Service Agencies ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract The physical, mental, and social benefits for older adults who volunteer are well-documented. Absent from this area of research however, is an understanding of volunteer motivation and experiences among culturally diverse older adults. This study addresses this research gap by exploring the volunteer pathways, motivations, and experiences of Jewish older adults in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The Jewish community is notable for possessing high levels of social capital, indicated by close community ties and the large number of faith and culturally based organizations, including community centres, day schools, seniors’ centres, and family service agencies, which provide many opportunities for older adults to volunteer. Despite this, they remain an understudied population. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty-one older adult volunteers (age 55+), and two paid volunteer staff in the Jewish community. Theoretical concepts including social capital, generativity, and the life course perspective on aging were used to guide interview questions. Data analysis revealed three themes related to cultural motivation to volunteer: 1.) A desire to support the current and future generations of the Jewish community, 2.) To satisfy the “Jewish ethic” of giving back, and 3.) Experiences of discrimination (anti-Semitism) over the life course. Participants frequently volunteered for organizations that supported the infrastructure of the Jewish community. Findings indicate how cultural experiences and values may influence the decision to volunteer and the types of volunteer roles taken on by older adults. Further, they suggest the ways in which cultural and religious generativity may be expressed through volunteerism, a previously unexplored concept.

scholarly journals Flipping the Script About Aging Through Films: The Gerontological Movie Database Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 102-102
Author(s):  
Sara Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Older Adult Population

Abstract Education about the heterogeneity of the older adult population is an important step for reducing ageist attitudes. As many undergraduate students view gerontology as an unrelatable discipline, educators are tasked with identifying innovative strategies to make course content engaging. The purpose of this presentation is to share an emerging educator’s experience with creating a novel essay assignment. Based off the International Movie Database (IMDb), the Gerontological Movie Database (GMDb) Review encourages students to use their knowledge to evaluate how older adults are portrayed in films. Explicitly, students must 1) choose a film that focuses on older adult characters and 2) apply key gerontological concepts (e.g., the life course perspective) to critique the film’s representation of aging. Though movie reviews are not a typical genre of writing, this assignment increases students’ understanding of how their perception of aging, coupled with master narratives embedded within today’s culture, influences the construction of age.

The Victimization of Older Adults in Prison

2021 ◽  
pp. 300-325
Author(s):  
Jane C. Daquin ◽  
Victoria Helmly ◽  
Leah E. Daigle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Routine Activities ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Unique Experience ◽  
The Life Course

Researchers have documented the differential risks that people in prison face of victimization. Although older adults in prison—those 50 years or older—generally face lower risks of being victimized than younger people in prison, the unique experience of this group warrants investigation. Connected to the importation/deprivation and the lifestyle/routine activities perspectives, older adults in prison face challenges connected to their physical and mental health that may shape their likelihood of victimization. These challenges are considered through the lens of gerontology and the life course perspective to illuminate how those who work with people in prison may better serve older adults.

scholarly journals TRANSITIONS TO RETIREMENT: PERCEPTIONS OF PORTUGUESE OLDER MEN

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-51
Author(s):  
Sandra T. Valadas ◽  
Carla Vilhena ◽  
António Fragoso
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Southern Portugal ◽  
The Life Course

In this paper we present results based on the project Old Guys Say Yes to Community. We interviewed 90 men in southern Portugal between 60 and 93 years of age. Our main aim was to understand how older men experienced their transitions from work to retirement. We clarify the concept of transition and the models that explain transitions in the life course perspective. There are a number of factors to consider during the processes of retirement. Also, not much is known about the role of education and learning during the transition process. We try to contribute to the field, reflecting on the learning processes that result from this transition. Our findings show that work is one of the most crucial dimensions to consider in transitions to retirement (despite the fact that we identify many others). But education and learning do have an immense impact on the lives of older adults, either negative or positive.

scholarly journals Joint Family and Work Trajectories and Multidimensional Wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Comolli ◽  
L. Bernardi ◽  
M. Voorpostel
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Social Origin ◽  
Employment Trajectories ◽  
Family And Work ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Family Trajectories

AbstractInformed by the life course perspective, this paper investigates whether and how employment and family trajectories are jointly associated with subjective, relational and financial wellbeing later in life. We draw on data from the Swiss Household Panel which combines biographical retrospective information on work, partnership and childbearing trajectories with 19 annual waves containing a number of wellbeing indicators as well as detailed socio-demographic and social origin information. We use sequence analysis to identify the main family and work trajectories for men and women aged 20–50 years old. We use OLS regression models to assess the association between those trajectories and their interdependency with wellbeing. Results reveal a joint association between work and family trajectories and wellbeing at older age, even net of social origin and pre-trajectory resources. For women, but not for men, the association is also not fully explained by proximate (current family and work status) determinants of wellbeing. Women’s stable full-time employment combined with traditional family trajectories yields a subjective wellbeing premium, whereas childlessness and absence of a stable partnership over the life course is associated with lower levels of financial and subjective wellbeing after 50 especially in combination with a trajectory of weak labour market involvement. Relational wellbeing is not associated with employment trajectories, and only weakly linked to family trajectories among men.

scholarly journals Music Is Healing: Developing a Music Module for a Pain Management Intervention for African American Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 815-815
Author(s):  
Mary Janevic ◽  
Sheria Robinson-Lane ◽  
Afton Hassett ◽  
Rebecca Courser
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
New Music ◽  
Participant Engagement ◽  
Management Intervention ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Positive Memories ◽  
African American Older Adults

Abstract Music has a known analgesic effect. Our multidisciplinary team is developing a music-focused module for Positive STEPS, a pain self-management intervention based on principles of positive psychology. The priority population is African American older adults with disabling chronic pain. Positive STEPS is delivered via website and phone calls from community health workers. To inform program design, we conducted two focus groups with older adults in Detroit (n=16; 100% female and African American; 75% age 70+). All participants said they would enjoy using music to cope with pain. Content analysis revealed the following themes regarding music for pain management: it elicits positive memories, reduces stress, motivates exercise and daily activities, and promotes relaxation. Participants offered ideas for music-focused activities, including learning about unfamiliar genres and using music for meditation/relaxation. Findings will inform the design of a new music module, to be pilot-tested for its effect on participant engagement and pain-related outcomes.

scholarly journals The Health and Well-Being of African-American Older Adults With a History of Incarceration

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 506-506
Author(s):  
Rodlescia Sneed
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
Older Prisoners ◽  
Health Related ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
African American Older Adults

Abstract African-Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Longer prison stays and release programs for older prisoners may result in an increased number of community-dwelling older adults with a history of incarceration. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in research on health-related outcomes for currently incarcerated older adults; however, there has been little inquiry into outcomes for formerly incarcerated African-American older adults following community re-entry. In this study, we used secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe employment, economic, and health-related outcomes in this population. Twelve percent of the 2238 African-Americans in our sample had been previously incarcerated. Those who had been previously incarcerated had higher rates of lung disease, arthritis, back problems, mobility problems, and mental health issues than their counterparts. They also had higher rates of hospitalization and lower use of dental health services. Further, while they did not experience lower employment rates than those with no criminal history, those who had been incarcerated had more physically demanding jobs and reported greater economic strain. Given the disproportionate incarceration rates among African-Americans, the aging of the prison population, and the increase in community re-entry for older prisoners, research that explores factors that impact the health and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals has broad impact. Future work should focus on addressing the needs of this vulnerable population of African-American older adults.

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