SOCI 373 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Visible Minority, Gentrification
19 Jun 2018
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Race and Ethnicity in Aging
Ethnicity will not have a major influence on aging because immigration is not a major influencer
of population age, it will simply change the ethnic composition of age cohort. Culture will affect
people’s aging experiences in canada.
Elderly seniors who immigrate to Canada may have limited access to formal supports. Limited
language skills may further restrict access to resources.
Nativity and length of residence will intersect with ethnicity to shape the aging experience in
canada.
We cannot assume that there will be a monolithic experience within an ethnicity. Differences
within ethnic groups may be larger than difference between ethnic groups in Canada.
Thinking in terms of ethnic subcultures may be more useful that talking about ‘ethnicities’ as a
whole.
02-27-2018
Subcultures- groups that share cultural characteristics such as language, beliefs, religion, or
national origin.
Culture- shared languages, beliefs, values, customs, and practices.
Choice- we want to allow individuals agency. People make choices within structural constraints.
People may choose a certain degree of ethnic identity by adopting specific subcultural patterns.
Ethnic identity may also at times be structurally constrained.
Ethnicity as a resource: Ethnic identification may serve as a behavioral guide. May also
engender social control function- the ‘generalized other perspective’. Social support resources.
May also be a coping resource both by bolstering sense of self and facilitating coping activities.
As older adults accrue life experience, identifying with one subculture can help the individual
cope with stressors through the subculture identification.
Rather than talking about specific subcultures, stats canada often talks about a privileged
‘majority’ and disadvantaged ‘minority’- often measured as a ‘visible minority’ ends up mixing
together a diverse mix of culture, doesn't tell us what we really need to know.
Double Jeopardy hypothesis- assumes aging will be detrimental to well being. This is
problematic- ex CA/D- difference in well being will depend on life course capital.
Aging will be worse(double jeopardy) for members of minority groups. The basic idea is that the
adverse effects of stressors in the aging process should be worse for individuals who hole
minority status. Minorities may hold less life course capital.
Only focused on external definitions, does not take into account intra group differences.
Discrimination is the implied causal factor in the double jeopardy hypothesis. This hypothesis
treats a very diverse group as if they are all the same.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Ethnicity will not have a major influence on aging because immigration is not a major influencer of population age, it will simply change the ethnic composition of age cohort. Culture will affect people"s aging experiences in canada. Elderly seniors who immigrate to canada may have limited access to formal supports. Limited language skills may further restrict access to resources. Nativity and length of residence will intersect with ethnicity to shape the aging experience in canada. We cannot assume that there will be a monolithic experience within an ethnicity. Differences within ethnic groups may be larger than difference between ethnic groups in canada. Thinking in terms of ethnic subcultures may be more useful that talking about ethnicities" as a whole. Subcultures- groups that share cultural characteristics such as language, beliefs, religion, or national origin. Culture- shared languages, beliefs, values, customs, and practices. People may choose a certain degree of ethnic identity by adopting specific subcultural patterns.
