The shift from old age to very old age: an analysis of the perception of aging among older people

Background The oldest-old (individuals over 90 years) are a fast-growing population. Understanding the perceptions of older people about very old age is the first step towards developing optimal geriatric care for an aging population. This study aimed to explore the potential shift from old age to very old age through the exploration of older people’s perception of aging. Methods Qualitative study conducted through individual interviews in the homes of older people. We voluntarily chose to include persons a decade under and above 90 years old to explore other factors than age that could participate in the shift from old age to very old age. The sampling was theoretical. We carried out the analyses using an inductive approach based on the phases of grounded theory. The researchers used triangulation. Collection was concluded when theoretical saturation was reached. Results Fourteen participants were interviewed. The shift from old age to very old age was not based on age but occurred when participants became conscious of the irreversibility of aging and its effects, and when they started living day-by-day, renouncing to any plan in a near future. The transition to very old age seemed to be preceded by a progressive disengagement from non-essentials activities. Participants reported a sensation of progressive social exclusion due to the loss of contemporaries or spouse, the difficulty to connect with younger generations or the absence of relationships in their neighborhood. The last step of life was feared, not because of the idea of death itself but because of the associated suffering and loss of autonomy. Conclusion Precipitating and slowing factors of the shift to very old age were identified to help general practitioners support older patients throughout their life trajectories.

Gender and Trajectories of Marital Breakdown: Accounts of Chinese Immigrant Women in Canada

The relatively sparse literature has documented various challenges international migration poses to martial stability, yet we know little about immigrant women's experiences with marital breakdown. Drawing data from a qualitative study of Chinese economic immigrants to Canada, this article explores women's experiences of navigating the processes of this life circumstance, and of how gender—including their senses of changing gender roles in post-immigration and postmarital contexts—plays out in these trajectories. The results of this exploratory study illustrate the value of transcending dichotomous conceptions of the relationship between gender and migration, and of opening spaces in which to better understand immigrant women's increasingly diversified life trajectories and the range of barriers they encounter along the way. The study also reveals multiple opportunities for social work contributions: tackling systematic barriers to settlement, facilitating social support in the community, and recognizing individuals’ diverse trajectory potentials (including the potential for this typically unwelcome event to be integrated as personal growth and transition).

Constructive Disequilibrium and Transformative Pedagogy

In this reflective essay we examined the experiences of a group of students from a small liberal arts college in the United States on a study abroad program to the Marshall Islands to intern as preservice teachers in Marshallese schools. Specifically, we examined 32 students’ critical reflections written once they returned from their programs. We interrogated their understanding of themselves regarding their privilege as American students and the inequality between the two nations. Through their teaching of Marshallese students, they deeply questioned the meaning of privilege, culture, identity, and community. We interpreted these experiences through the lens of transformative learning theory and the notion of constructive disequilibrium. When critical-transformative pedagogies inform these experiences, they nudge students out of their comfort zone and offer them opportunities to consider new possibilities that widen their life trajectories and develop global citizenship. We conclude with advocating for the importance of study abroad experiences.

Memórias de mulheres afrodescendentes de sucesso na educação de jovens e adultos

O presente texto expõe um dos resultados de estudos e experiências vivenciadas no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade Federal do Piauí- PPGEd/UFPI. Através da pesquisa que resultou na Dissertação intitulada, “Histórias que se cruzam na EJA: as Trajetórias de Vida de Mulheres Afrodescendentes de Sucesso Educacional”, em que a primeira autora buscou problematizar como mulheres afrodescendentes interpretam a sua trajetória de vida e sua passagem pela EJA, expondo também, implicações advindas destas em suas formas de organização da vida e no enfrentamento das suas dificuldades socioculturais, considerando os fatores de gênero-raça-classe. Neste artigo buscamos refletir sobre as memórias de duas mulheres afrodescendentes, egressas da EJA, participantes da citada investigação. A intenção foi analisar, a partir das histórias de vida de cada uma, as táticas utilizadas por elas para que pudessem alcançar a emancipação social, e assim obterem o sucesso educacional/profissional desejado por cada uma delas, de maneira singular. As discussões foram feitas a partir dos seguintes autores/as: Arroyo (2014, 2017), Boakari (2010, 2015, 2019), Certeau (1994), Guimarães (2013), Martins (2013), dentre outros/as. A análise dos dados e as suas interpretações evidenciaram que há lições nas trajetórias educativas, que nos mostram como essas mulheres utilizaram o direito a educação como ferramenta para superar algumas dificuldades impostas pela condição interseccional de ser mulher-afrodescendente-pobre no Brasil. Essas mulheres afrodescendentes, por meio de táticas subverteram a lógica social brasileira, e ocuparam lugares que não eram comuns a elas, nem para muitas outras, com características semelhantes e em condições parecidas.Palavras-chave: Mulheres afrodescendentes sujeitas de sua História; EJA como direito e tática; Sucesso educacional e socioprofissional.Memories of successful afrodescendant women in youth and adult educationABSTRACTThis text presents some results of studies and experiences lived in the Graduate Program in Education at the Federal University of Piauí (PPGEd/UFPI). With help from the research that resulted in the Master´s Thesis entitled "Stories that intersect in EJA (Youth and Adult Education Programs): the Life Trajectories and Educational Success of Women of African Descent", we problematized how women of African descendance interpret their trajectories in life and times spent in EJA programs. Implications arising from these experiences in terms of how they helped the women organize their lives and face their sociocultural difficulties, considering gender-race-class factors, were considered. In this article, we seek to reflect on the memories of two Brazilian women of African descent, graduates from EJA programs, with the intention to analyze, from the life stories of each one, the tactics used by them to achieve social emancipation and attain the educational/professional success desired by each one of them, in a unique way. Discussions were supported by the following authors: Arroyo (2014; 2017), Boakari (2010; 2015; 2019), Certeau (1994), Guimarães (2013), Martins (2013), among others. Data analysis and their interpretations showed that there are lessons to be learned from the educational trajectories of the participants of the study, as they show us how these women used their right to an education as a tool to overcome difficulties imposed by their intersectional conditions of being poor Afro-descendant women in Brazil. These women of African origin, through tactics developed by each one, subverted the Brazilian social logic and occupied places that were not common for persons like them, nor for many others with similar characteristics and in similar conditions.Keywords: Subject afrodescendant women of their History; EJA as law and Tactics; Educational and socioprofessional success.Memorias de éxito de mujeres descendientes africanas em la educación de jóvenes y adultosRESUMENEste texto presenta algunos resultados de estudios y experiencias vividas en el Programa de Posgrado en Educación de la Universidad Federal de Piauí-PPGEd/UFPI. A través de la investigación que dio como resultado la Disertación titulada "Historias que se cruzan en EJA: las Trayectorias de Vida de Mujeres Afrodescendientes de Éxito Educativo", tentamos problematizar cómo las mujeres afrodescendientes interpretan su trayectoria de vida y su paso por EJA, exponiendo también, las implicaciones que surgen de estos en sus formas de organizar su vida y en el enfrentamiento de sus dificultades socioculturales, considerando factores género-raza-clase. En este artículo buscamos reflexionar sobre la memoria de dos mujeres afrodescendientes, egresadas de EJA, que participan en la investigación antes mencionada. La intención fue analizar, a partir de las historias de vida de cada una, las tácticas utilizadas por ellas para que pudieran lograr la emancipación social y así obtener el éxito educativo/profesional deseado por cada una de ellas, de manera única. Las discusiones se basaron en los siguientes autores: Arroyo (2014; 2017), Boakari (2010; 2015; 2019), Certeau (1994), Guimarães (2013), Martins (2013), entre otros. El análisis de datos y sus interpretaciones mostraron que hay lecciones en las trayectorias educativas, que nos muestran cómo estas mujeres utilizaron el derecho a la educación como una herramienta para superar algunas dificultades impuestas por la condición interseccional de ser una mujer afrodescendiente pobre en Brasil. Estas mujeres afrodescendientes, mediante tácticas subvirtieron la lógica social brasileña y ocuparon lugares que no eran comunes a ellas, ni a muchas otras con características similares y en condiciones similares.Palabras clave: Sujeto mujeres afrodescendientes de su Historia; EJA en ley y táctica; Éxito educativo y socioprofesional.

L’affidamento familiare: le strategie educative elaborate dagli affidatari

Foster care is a condition of welcoming children with families in serious difficulty, legally regulated, aimed at guaranteeing to minors a suitable space for growth, and to families of origin the possibility of overcoming the problems so as to consent the return of the children. It is a challenging educational condition, to be deepened with research. The complexity of the backgrounds of origin and the co-presence of multiple risk factors in fact generate in children and young people in foster care, important difficulties in development, which foster families have to cope with, also with the support of specialists, services and associations. However, the skills that caregivers come to build over the years are valuable, deserving of pedagogical insights, so that good practices of positive parenting can be valued and shared. In this paper we will report the results of a survey, carried out with a national sample of 323 foster families. The study makes it possible to investigate the reasons for the custody prevision, the relationships with families of origin, the difficult life trajectories of the children in foster care (transitions, placements, discontinuities, years of foster care, continuation of relationships after foster care). In this way it is possible to identify the needs highlighted by the minors, the relevant problems that emerge and the promising strategies adopted by the foster families.

The Impact of Life Trajectories on Retirement: Socioeconomic Differences in Social Support Networks

In general, the literature about social support networks (SSNs) has been divided into two different statements: On the one hand, social support is a safety net that helps the ego confront disadvantages in life. On the other hand, studies have shown how SSNs could act as sources of constraints for ego, especially in poverty. In this study, we looked into the SSNs of older people over time and found how those two paths co‐exist and depend on the socioeconomic status of ego. Then, this article aims to discover how cumulative social inequalities intersect with social networks in facilitating or hampering social support over time, impacting retirement experience. Specifically, we want to observe if and how the life trajectories of older people from different socioeconomic statuses affect how people build their SSNs in terms of structure and composition. This article presents a mixed‐method project that collected qualitative life history interviews from 30 older women and men in Santiago, Chile. The results show that socioeconomic status plays a role in shaping individual experiences of retirement but that these experiences are shaped through SSNs structural and compositional characteristics. People identify salient life events and the relevant networks and conjointly discuss supportive and/or exploitative aspects of their networks. The amount of support they give to others or that they receive from their alters accumulates over time, resulting in a progressive social inclusion or exclusion mechanism. This article concludes that SSNs during retirement are shaped by the ego’s socioeconomic status and life history.

Evaluating Spaces for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Findings From an Environmental Audit

Homeless populations require spaces and services that take into account their life trajectories. The Aging in the Right Place - Environmental Checklist (AIRP-ENV) is an environmental audit tool developed by our team to evaluate the accessibility and overall design features of housing targeted for aging individuals experiencing homelessness. Researchers in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal employed this tool in 2021 to evaluate environmental features in selected promising practices to identify built environment factors that promote aging in the right place. Preliminary findings reveal the following themes across sites: access to communal and recreational spaces encourage social inclusion and meaningful recreation opportunities; barrier-free built environment features foster independence and safety; and access to services and amenities encourage community mobility. Findings demonstrate a need to employ a broader evaluative lens that incorporates psycho-social factors to gain a nuanced understanding of aging in the right place for older adults who have experienced homelessness.