Aging & Social Change: Tenth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

There are several reports on the presence of social isolation and feelings of loneliness among Canadian immigrant seniors. Social isolation and loneliness are believed to be caused by a broad range of factors including loss of partner and friends, health deterioration, poverty, and challenging living environment. In this paper, I contend that researchers have overlooked the sense of “non-mattering” reported by immigrant seniors. Mattering refers to the subjective interpretation of one’s importance to significant others. Moreover, the role of immigration and resettlement policies and practices in placing older immigrants at greater risk of social isolation and feelings of loneliness and non-mattering has been largely ignored by researchers. Finally, in their study of social isolation and loneliness, researchers have mainly focused on sponsored immigrant seniors and have ignored the presence of such experiences among immigrants who are aged in Canada. Using the insights of convoy of social support framework, I argue that immigration policies regarding family reunification, family sponsorship, immigrant categories, access to old age security, and job training programs could generate sense of social isolation, loneliness, and non-mattering among immigrant seniors, by undermining supportive relationship within their convoy of support. Policy and practice recommendations are provided.