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UK: Racism and quality of life of older
people
Eurekalert, May 19, 2003
UK - The impact of racism should be properly considered when attempts are made to measure the quality of life of older people among Britain's ethnic minorities, according to a report on new research sponsored by the Economic & Social Research Council. Experience
of racism was one of the clearest differences to emerge from a study of
more than 200 older people led by Jabeer Butt of the REU, Britain's
leading charity aimed at promoting race equality in social work and social
care services for black and minority ethnic communities. The
research, which was jointly undertaken with the National Institute for
Social Work Research Unit based at King's College London, calls for more
work to be done on its long term effects. While
there is growing interest in quality of life and how it is judged in terms
of people's expectations and factors such as health and income, until now
little research has been based on the views of older people themselves.
This is particularly true of older people from minority ethnic groups,
says the report. Although they make up an increasing proportion of
Britain's older population, they are rarely represented in significant
numbers in mainstream research. While
the report highlighted the increasing diversity in people's experiences of
growing older in Britain today, the area in which the clearest contrasts
emerged between white older people and those from minority ethnic groups
was the experience of racism. Mr
Butt said: "About half the people from minority ethnic groups said
they had experienced racism – a figure which is likely to be an
underestimate given a widespread reluctance to speak about the topic. By
contrast, only those white people who were from a hidden minority, such as
Welsh or Irish, or who had a Black partner, reported they had experienced
racism." Across
all ethnic groups, the overwhelming majority of participants felt their
relationships with their children and grandchildren were close. Although a
small number of people from minority ethnic groups considered that their
children were less willing to support their parents than they themselves
had been, the majority emphasised that patterns of social support that may
have been usual in their country of birth were not always possible in
Britain today. There
seems to be an emerging trend for Black Caribbean and Asian older people
to live in sheltered accommodation run by housing associations operated
within these ethnic communities. People in this situation pointed out that
it enabled them to live independently while maintaining close contact with
their children. Although
many from minority ethnic groups visited their country of birth for
holidays or family occasions such as weddings, the great majority saw
themselves as firmly established in their local communities where they had
lived for many years. They had no intentions of leaving Britain
permanently. "Older
people's social lives are often presented in a very negative way, with the
assumption that they are reliant on others to arrange any form of social
contact. In fact, the report shows, there was a lot of give and take, with
participants emphasising how they helped each other, offering company or
emotional support in return for practical help, such as lifts", said
Jo Moriarty of King's College London. Although
local friends and relations were an important source of support, many of
those questioned, including white people, had family and friends living
abroad or elsewhere in this country, with whom they kept in touch through
visits, telephone calls, and sometimes e-mail. Perhaps
contrary to expectations, a high proportion of people identified religion
as providing meaning and purpose to their lives. This was especially true
of Black Caribbean women for whom their local church was one of their most
important sources of social support. The study also suggested an intriguing way in which Britain's older population from minority ethnic groups could play a role in countering experiences of ageism. Many participants, especially older white women, felt that they were viewed as being less capable as they grew older. While recognising some of the physical aspects of ageing, Asian and Chinese older people were more likely to point out that they had acquired greater wisdom and experience with age and that this helped them in their relationships with others. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |