Cultural Complexities
The Intersectionality of Old, Rural and Poor Identities
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Adrienne Cohen
The objective of this study was to use intersectionality to better understand the challenges of having the combined statuses of being an older adult, living in a rural area and having limited financial resources. Eight focus groups and 38 individual interviews were conducted in southern Georgia. Participants included program participants and staff, community members, and community leaders. Thematic analysis was done using verbatim transcripts from focus groups and interviews. Results demonstrate that the multiplicative and intersecting statuses of the study population create challenges in the areas of transportation, health care, food, and housing. The challenges of these intersectional statuses limit access to services in ways that each individual status did not, thereby compounding challenges. While previous literature describes the challenges of one or two of these statuses, this work explores the multiplicative effects of the combination of the three statuses using intersectionality. Programmatic and policy recommendations and implications are discussed
Culturally Competent Elder Care in Muslim-Majority Countries
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alan S. Weber, Tanya Kane, Mohamud Verjee
This paper reviews the ethical, cultural, religious and social dimensions of culturally-competent elder care in Muslim majority countries. Although Western biomedical models of elder care dominate international practice, Islamic societies have a rich tradition of approaches to health for the elderly which fit their religious and historical context (which increases adherence, compliance, and patient satisfaction among those populations). These Islamic practices can potentially augment current elder care paradigms, leading to more diverse and satisfying international frameworks. Specifically, communally-based societies place greater emphasis on tribal, community, and family health, and decision-making often occurs within families, in sharp contrast to rights-based individualistic societies which emphasise personal autonomy. Also, Eastern cultures, most notably those impacted by Confucianism, tend to place high value on elders as decision makers, repositories of traditional wisdom, and forces of continuity in preserving cultural and religious identity. Western media on the other hand, most notably social media in the U.S.A., tends to fetishise youth and youthfulness. The designations Sheikh / Shaykhah, literally ‘old man’ or ‘old woman’ (> verb “to grow old”), are honorific titles in Arabic-speaking countries denoting either a wise tribal leader or female scholar (or the daughter of a Sheikh). Within utilitarian-oriented health economics, the relative value of individuals within a society plays an important role in distributive justice. This analytical presentation is based on a review of the relevant literature, and discussions with a Family Medicine physician, a Cultural Anthropologist, and a Medical Humanities specialist all working in medical colleges in the State of Qatar.
Divine and Spiritual Communities: Re-defining Linked Lives from the Experiences of Black and Latine Older Adults
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Laurent Laurent
The principle of “Linked Lives” is one of the five principles of the Life Course Perspective. Linked Lives emphasizes the interdependence of individuals across the life course, the ways relationships with family members, communities, and networks across generations and geographies influence individual's behavior, life chances, and life trajectory. However, what has received less attention are the ways some individuals’ spiritual communities, those concerning relationships with ancestors and religious deities inform the individual’s behavior, life chances, and trajectory. This phenomenological study draws from an intersectional life course perspective to expand our theoretical understanding of Linked Lives to include the lived experience of Black and Latinx older adults’ spiritual communities. Findings from this study show that Black and Latine adults' develop intimate connections are developed with divinities, ancestors, and spirits. These relationships must not be disregarded, as they hold an important role in decision making processes, sought opportunities, and the outlook and disposition of older adults towards their lived experiences. Until now, the life course perspective has not considered religion and spirituality, but as the older adult population grows more diverse, gerontologists have an obligation to expand its theoretical concepts and perspectives to integrate the experiences of historically oppressed older adults.
