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Body work in health and social care: critical themes, new agendas
- Editors:
- TWIGG Julia, et al
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 182p.
- Place of publication:
- Chichester
Body work is paid work undertaken on the bodies of others. This book explores the multiple ways in which body work features in health and social care and analyses the meanings of this work for both those employed to do it and those on whose bodies they work. The editors bring together contributions from scholars in the field, drawing on perspectives from across the medical, therapeutic, and care fields. The writers use a variety of approaches, from life history analysis to ethnographic studies and first person accounts. Chapters include: conceptualising body work in health and social care; time, space and touch at work: body work and labour process (re)organisation; managing the body work of home care; the means of correct training: embodied regulation in training for body work among mothers; from body-talk to body-stories: body work in complementary and alternative medicine; educating with the hands: working on the body⁄self in Alexander Technique; the body work of sexual therapy; actions speak louder than words: the embodiment of trust by healthcare professionals in gynae-oncology; body work in respiratory physiological examinations; in a moment of mismatch: overseas doctors’ adjustments in new hospital environments; the co-marking of aged bodies and migrant bodies: migrant workers’ contribution to geriatric medicine in the UK; and body work and the sociological tradition.
Towards a model of externalisation and denationalisation of care? The role of female migrant care workers for dependent older people in Spain
- Author:
- ROMERO Belén Agrela
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 15(1), 2012, pp.45-61.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The aim of this article is to analyse the role of migrant care workers in relation to older dependent people in Spain. This new model of care has come about due to: the rapid ageing of the population of Spain; the lack of formal care services; and the increasing presence of women in the labour market resulting in a shortage of informal care. These factors have led to a situation in which ‘importing’ female immigrants has become something of an ‘informal solution’ among both policy-makers and people who require their services. This article analyses how this point has been reaching, drawing primarily upon the connection established between the welfare state, the feminisation of migrations, and global care chains. It describes the limitations of the public system of protection of elders, as well as those of formal care services, making eldercare reliant upon family involvement. Since the high cost of private companies’ services cannot be met by all family budgets, resorting to migrant carers emerges as a solution to the problem. Finally, the article argues that the current conditions favour the production of social inequalities related to gender, class and nationality, and considers the implications for social work practice.
A sense of dignity in later life: a qualitative study on the views of older women migrants from minoritised backgrounds
- Authors:
- SALTUS Roiyah, PITHARA Christalla
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 15(1), 2014, pp.21-33.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose – Research evidence indicates the need for studies that explore the salience of dignity from the perspective of older people from a range of ethno-linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Drawing findings from a mixed-methods study on social-care expectations of community-dwelling older women from black and minority-ethnic backgrounds, the purpose of this paper is to explore the interrelationships between life-course events (such as migration) and the roles adopted by the women throughout their lives, which shaped their understanding of dignity. Design/methodology/approach – Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 32 older women in Wales were conducted in the participants’ first languages. The interview schedule was developed, piloted and peer-reviewed; it covered the themes of migration, perceptions of dignity, dignity in later life, perceptions of care and care with dignity. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. This paper focuses on what dignity meant to older women and how a sense of dignity was fostered in later life. Findings – For the participants, a sense of dignity in later life was shaped by migration to the UK, and their shifting, transnational understanding of growing old in the UK and of the perceived worth and value of the roles they played. Although some women also saw other platforms (such as work and their status as professionals) as being of importance, a sense of purpose fostered in their roles as wives, mothers and grandmothers, and as mentors and guardians of cultural knowledge, underpinned their understanding of dignity, and reinforced their sense of acknowledgement and worth. Fostered from an early age through interactions with the family and close community (religious, cultural or ethnic), respect for older people was revealed to remain a key element of the participants’ personal and cultural value systems, as were the ways in which respect should be both earned and manifested. The sense of heightened vulnerability, because of advancing age, and the impact of cumulative negative encounters and racialised micro-aggressions, were real and pressing. Practical implications – Given the changing demographic of the older population throughout Europe and the world, there is a need to raise awareness among policy makers and practitioners of the importance of dignity from a range of perspectives – providing first-hand accounts that bring these to life, and data that can be used to help develop effective interventions. Originality/value – This paper adds to the understanding of dignity from a transnational, multi-ethnic perspective; the potential impact of multiple social positions (being old, being a woman, being a migrant and being from a minority-ethnic group) on the perception of being treated and regarded as important and valuable; and the need to raise awareness among policy makers and practitioners of the importance of dignity from a range of perspectives, providing first-hand accounts that bring these to life and that can be used to help develop effective social-care interventions. (Publisher abstract)
Exploring older women’s citizenship: understanding the impact of migration in later life
- Author:
- COOK Joanne
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 30(2), February 2010, pp.253-273.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper focuses upon the welfare citizenship experiences of older women who migrated in later life to England, either as refugees or as post-retirement migrants. It reports findings from interviews and focus groups conducted with black Caribbean, Irish, Chinese and Somali older women migrants in Sheffield as part of the Older Women's Lives and Voices Study. The paper explores their experiences of accessing welfare citizenship and the barriers they encountered in accessing mainstream services. In particular, it examines the unequal platform from which older migrants who do not speak English access welfare citizenship rights and services, and assesses the important constraints of discrimination and language differences. For the Somali and Chinese women in particular, welfare services fell short with respect to language provision and to the responses of welfare providers to their particular needs and differences. Despite the obstacles, the older women participants were actively pursuing their inclusion in welfare rights and services. The paper argues for more recognition of the important enabling role that informal systems of support provided by participation in community or cultural organisations play in realising the welfare rights and accessing services for minority ethnic older women.
Social relations beyond the family? Exploring elderly South Asian women's friendships in London
- Author:
- MAND Kanwal
- Journal article citation:
- Community Work and Family, 9(3), August 2006, pp.309-323.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
In exploring elderly South Asian women's networks this paper critiques the predominant focus on kinship (based on descent and or affinity) that has been the prism through which South Asian women's lives have been explored. Through research carried out at weekly meetings attended by elderly South Asian women, this paper addresses the significance of friendships for migrant South Asian women. The paper highlights how networks are formed, maintained and alter according to the stage in the life course and geographical place.
Heeding new voices: gender-related herstories of Asian and Caribbean-born elderly women
- Author:
- PATTERSON Fiona M.
- Journal article citation:
- Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 18(1), Spring 2003, pp.68-79.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This qualitative exploratory study looks at how life events affected the ageing of 25 women born in Puerto Rico, the West Indies, China, India, and Korea who later moved to the United States. Investigates the women's early lives and current relationships with their husbands and other family members. Also discusses how to enhance social work with this population.
"Care from the heart": older minoritised women's perceptions of dignity in care
- Authors:
- SALTUS Roiyah, PITHARA Christalla
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care, 11(1), 2015, pp.57-70.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Drawing findings from a large mixed-method study on perceptions of dignity, care expectations, and support in relation to older women from Black and minority-ethnic backgrounds, this paper explores the interrelationships between life course events and the multiple roles adopted by women at different points in time that have shaped their perceptions of care and their care expectations in old age. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 32 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with older women living in Wales, to examine participants’ understanding of growing old, and the meaning and attributes of care and what care with dignity “looked and felt like”. The theoretical framework is guided by a life-course approach and grounded within an intersectionality perspective. The majority of the participants were migrants. Findings: Social markers such as ethnicity and cultural identity were found to influence the participants’ understanding and expectations of care with factors such as gender identity and integration in the local community also of importance. How women felt they were perceived and “recognised” by others in their everyday lives with particular focus at the time of old age with the increased potential of loss of dignity due to declining capabilities, raised the importance of the family involvement in care provision, and perceived differences in the attributes of paid and non-paid care. The notion of "care from the heart" emerged as a key attribute of care with dignity. Care with dignity was understood as a purposeful activity, undertaken with intent to show respect and to acknowledge the participants’ sense of worth and value. Originality/value: The study highlights the importance of the social nature of dignity, how wider societal structures can impact and shape how care is understood for older women of migrant and minoritised backgrounds, and the need to explore migration and care across the life course. (Edited publisher abstract)
Policy and practice implications from the lives of aging international migrant women
- Author:
- PATTERSON Fiona
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 47(1), January 2004, pp.25-37.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Reports on a study which examined the the cross-cultural experiences of older women who came to the USA as adults from Asia or the Caribbean. Women in Pennsylvania aged 60-89 were interviewed. Results found the women sometimes experienced conflict between their original cultures and their lives in the US. Their stories included material about initial adjustment, work and economic issues, health, and culture and gender roles. The results provide information to help formulate appropriate services and legislation.