Co-Development of a Web-Based Hub (eSocial-hub) to Combat Social Isolation and Loneliness in Francophone and Anglophone Older People in the Linguistic Minority Context (Quebec, Manitoba, and New Brunswick): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Interventional Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit Canadian nursing facilities (81% of deaths). To this toll, public health measures (eg, visitation restriction) have subsequently deepened the social isolation and loneliness of residents in nursing facilities (NFs), especially those in linguistic minority settings: Anglophone institutions in Quebec and Francophone institutions outside Quebec. However, very few COVID-19 initiatives targeting these populations specifically have been documented. Given the limited number of NFs serving linguistic minorities in Canadian populations, families and loved ones often live far from these facilities, sometimes even in other provinces. This context places the digital solutions as particularly relevant for the present COVID-19 pandemic as well as in the post–COVID-19 era. OBJECTIVE This project aims to co-develop a virtual community of practice through a web-based platform (eSocial-hub) to combat social isolation and loneliness among the older people in linguistic minority settings in Canada. METHODS An interventional study using a sequential mixed methods design will be conducted. Four purposely selected NFs will be included, 2 among facilities in Manitoba and 2 in New Brunswick; and 2 Anglophone NFs in Quebec will serve as knowledge users. The development of eSocial-hub will include an experimental 4-month phase involving the following end users: (1) older people (n=3 per NF), (2) families of the participating older people (n=3 per NF), and (3) frontline staff (nurse and health care aid; n=2 per NF). RESULTS Activities and solutions aiming at reducing social isolation and loneliness will be implemented and then evaluated with the project stakeholders, and the best practices generated. The assessment will be conducted using indicators derived from the 5 domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. The project will be led by an interdisciplinary team and will involve a multisectoral partnership. CONCLUSIONS The project will develop a promising and generalizable solution that uses virtual technology to help reduce social isolation and loneliness among the older people.

The “Vulnerability” Discourse in Times of Covid-19: Between Abandonment and Protection of Canadian Francophone Older Adults

The Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult for older Canadians who have experienced age discrimination. As the media can provide a powerful channel for conveying stereotypes, the current study aimed to explore how Canadian Francophone older adults and the aging process were depicted by the media during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to examine if and how the media discourse contributed to ageist attitudes and behaviors. A content analysis of two French Canadian media op-eds and comment pieces (n = 85) published over the course of the first wave of the pandemic was conducted. Findings reveal that the aging process was mainly associated with words of decline, loss, and vulnerability. More so, older people were quasi-absent if not silent in the media discourse. Older adults were positioned as people to fight for and not as people to fight along with in the face of the pandemic. The findings from this study enhance the understanding of theories and concepts of the Theory of Social Representations and the Stereotype Content Model while outlining the importance of providing older people with a voice and a place in the shaping of public discourse around aging. Results also illustrate the transversality and influence of ageism in this linguistic minority context.

Towards Inclusion in Spanish Higher Education: Understanding the Relationship between Identification and Discrimination

It is more and more evident that there is diversity among university students, but this diversity encompasses a wide variety of personal characteristics that, on occasion, may be subject to rejection or discrimination. The feeling of inequality is the result of one stand‐alone characteristic or an intersection of many. To widen our knowledge of this diversity and to be able to design actions with an inclusive approach, we have set out to explore the relationship between students’ feelings of discrimination, their group identification and their intersections. Participants for the study are selected from protected groups which fall into the following criteria: ethnic minority, illness, migrant minority, disability, linguistic minority, sexual orientation, income, political ideology, gender, age and religion. We will refer to this relationship as the ‘discrimination rate.’ To fulfil our objective, we have given a questionnaire to a sample of 2,553 students from eight Spanish universities. The results indicate that the characteristics with which they most identify are religion, age, sex and political ideology. However, the highest rate of discrimination is linked to linguistic minority, ideology and migration. Regarding intersectionality, it is worth noting that 16.6% of students feel discriminated against for more than one characteristic, with the most frequent relationships being the following: (1) ethnic or migrant minorities (2) sexual orientation, sex, being under 30, leftist ideology, low income, linguistic minority and (3) Christian Catholic, right‐wing and upper‐class ideology.

Language dominance and shift among Kalhuri Kurdish speakers in the multilingual context of Iran

The current language policy and planning of many countries still adhere to the nation-state ideology of “one nation equals one official language”. This issue is likely to cause the linguistic minority groups to devalue or even abandon their own mother tongue and identify with the official language of the country. A case in point is Iran where Persian is the only official language and other languages are merely tolerated, but not promoted. The principal aim of this study is to find factors that lead Kalhuri Kurdish people to choose to speak with their children in Persian at the risk of losing their native language, a phenomenon which may happen as a result of linguistic/language suicide or because of linguicide. Therefore, a researcher-designed and validated questionnaire was administered to 384 Kalhuri Kurdish parents. The results indicated that the language policy and planning in Iran has made Kalhuri parents use Persian in interactions with their children instead of using their own vernacular, Kalhuri. The sociolinguistic implications of the study are discussed in the light of the research findings.

Social Exclusion Among Official Language Minority Older Adults: A Rapid Review of the Literature in Canada, Finland and Wales

It has been suggested that older adults from minority linguistic and ethnic communities face higher risks of being socially excluded. The aim of this review was, therefore, to explore and review social exclusion studies conducted among official language minority older adults in three countries, namely Canada, Finland and Wales. A rapid review approach was used to review scientific literature in line with six social exclusion domains. The literature searches were made in Finnish, Swedish, English, French and Welsh and were restricted to research published within the timeline of 2001 – September 2019 and yielded 42 articles. The included studies were categorized into three different domains: socioeconomic influences, social participation and societal conditions. Converging and diverging patterns of social exclusion in old age were identified between the linguistic minorities. Linguistic barriers regarding access to health care and receiving health information were common across the three linguistic contexts, whereas exclusion from social participation was noticed amongst the linguistic minorities in Canada and Wales. Some connections between belonging to a linguistic minority and being exposed to a lower socioeconomic status and higher poverty risk were made, however, these findings were not robust across all three countries. The findings indicated that experiences of exclusion could be considered fairly common among linguistic minority older adults. We conclude that the research evidence presented in the review sheds light on issues of social inequality in old age between linguistic majorities and minorities, thus identifying important aspects of social exclusion to guide future research as well as policy and practice.

eSocial-HUB: Co-development of a virtual HUB to combat social isolation and loneliness among seniors in Francophone (Manitoba and New Brunswick) and Anglophone (Quebec) linguistic/cultural minorities (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Worldwide, governments are actively speed up ambitious vaccination programmes against the COVID-19, while its third wave persists in several canadian juridictions caused by emerging strains. The first wave severely hit Canadian nursing facilities (81% of deaths). To this toll, public health measures that reduced physical contacts and visitation restriction have subsequently deepened the social isolation and loneliness in nursing facilities (NF) residents. This unanticipated collateral effects increases residents vulnerability, especially those in linguistic minority settings: Anglophone institutions in Quebec and Francophone institutions outside Quebec. While no one could have prepared for the challenges of COVID 19, certain innovative interventions have yielded successful results. Our project intends to draw on these winning practices and apply them in linguistic and cultural minority settings. Very few COVID-19 initiatives targeting these populations specifically have been documented. Given the limited number of NF serving linguistic minorities in Canadian populations, families and loved ones often live far from these facilities, sometimes even in other provinces. This context places the digital solutions as particularly relevant in per-COVID-19 as well as in the post-COVID-19. OBJECTIVE The project aims to co-develop a virtual community of practice HUB (eSocial-HUB) to combat social isolation and loneliness among the elderly in linguistic minority settings in Canada. METHODS An intervention study will use a sequential mixed method design. Four purposely selected NF will be included, two in facilities in Manitoba and two in New Brunswick; and two Anglophone NF in Quebec will serve as knowledge user. The development of eSocial-HUB will include an experimental 4-month phase involving end users: 1) elderly (n=3 per NF), 2) families of participating elderly (n=3 per NF), and 3) frontline staff (nurse and nursing assistant) (n=2 per NF). RESULTS Activities and solutions aiming at reducing social isolation and loneliness will be implemented and then evaluated with the project stakeholders, and the best practices generated. The assessment will be conducted using indicators derived from the five domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. The project will be led by an interdisciplinary team and will involve a multisectoral partnership. CONCLUSIONS The project will develop a promising and generalizable solution that uses virtual technology to help reduce social isolation and loneliness among the elderly.

Educating and Integrating Minorities: The Added Value of the School Library

Vahl primary school in Oslo is Norway’s most multicultural school. 96% of the school’s 300 pupils belong to a linguistic minority (Vaagan & Enger 2004). The school library is seen and used as an extension of the class room. The range of library activities represent added value in relation to educating minority pupils and assisting in their subsequent integration in society. Some typical minority pupils are discussed, emphasizing in each case how the added value of the library comes into play.

Toward equitable education in the context of a pandemic: supporting linguistic minority students during remote learning

PurposeWithout universal access to a Covid-19 vaccine, many countries seek to prevent coronavirus outbreaks by closing schools and having students learn remotely. This study aims to examine its challenges for linguistic minority (LM) students and some practical strategies – both generally for all students and specifically for LM students.Design/methodology/approachThis study synthesises the research literature and practices across countries on equity and remote learning. It helps (1) understand the differential difficulties during an epidemic across primary, secondary and tertiary school students, especially LM students from low socioeconomic status (SES) families who lack economic, human, cultural or social capital in family or school contexts, based on Bourdieu's theory, and (2) identify additional resources and flexible, creative solutions for improving access and learning conditions for LM students. The authors discuss examples from 13 countries and territories (including developed and developing economies) of transformations of in-class learning to online learning in part or whole.FindingsThe limited economic, cultural and social capital of LM students, especially from low SES families, and their schools, along with communication barriers hinder their remote learning. Crisis-induced school budget shortfalls require creative ways to transition teachers, students and parents to remote learning and to provide customised support for LM students. Schools can (1) partner with non-governmental organisations, religious organisations, businesses and government services to access/share remote learning resources for LM students; (2) help teachers, students and parents develop needed skills (via online systems, peer support groups and hotlines); (3) restructure teacher lessons and duties for remote teaching; and (4) capitalise on technology (e.g. texts, chats, whiteboards) to support LM students' remote learning – some of which can exceed their traditional face-to-face learning experiences.Originality/valueThis article is among the first to examine how the Covid-19 crisis disproportionately affects the remote learning of LM students, to specify effective, practical remedies and to inform suitable education and social policies across countries.