Canada continues to be a prominent immigrant and refugee-receiving country in worldwide migration, resettlement, and search for refuge, yet there is a gap in our understanding of these newcomers' views of the specific meanings of social support and their support needs and resources. The purpose of this study was to understand the meanings of social support for immigrants and refugees in Canada, and to explore the types and adequacy of formal supports. Individual interviews were conducted with 60 service providers and policymakers initially (Phase 1), and 120 immigrants and refugees (60 Chinese, 60 Somali) in the second phase. The implications of these findings were elicited in group interviews (Phase 3) of policy decision-makers, advocates, service providers, and managers. This investigation revealed many interrelated challenges facing refugees and immigrants such as language difficulties, inadequate information on services, poor health, racism, needs for retraining, rejection of foreign qualifications, unemployment, social isolation, social insecurity, dwindling social networks, and family conflicts. The study also illuminated culturally and socio-economically determined perceptions of social support and
This article argues for the concurrent and comparative use of genograms and ecomaps in family caregiving research. A genogram is a graphic portrayal of the composition and structure of one's family and an ecomap is a graphic portrayal of personal and family social relationships. Although development and utilization of genograms and ecomaps is rooted in clinical practice with families, as research tools they provide data that can enhance the researcher's understanding of family member experiences. In qualitative research of the supportive and nonsupportive interactions experienced by male family caregivers, the interactive use of genograms and ecomaps (a) facilitated increased understanding of social networks as a context for caregiving, (b) promoted a relational process between researcher and participant, and (c) uncovered findings such as unrealized potential in the participant's social network that may not be revealed with the use of the genogram or ecomap alone, or the noncomparative use of both.
The purpose of this study was to explore male caregivers' perceptions of formal support. The men were caregivers of adults with cognitive impairment. The study involved secondary analysis of interview data on perceptions of support that had not been previously analyzed from the perspective of formal support. Techniques of data analysis used in grounded theory were applied to 62 guided interactive interviews conducted with 24 male caregivers during a period of 18 months. The men experienced a process of making concessions for care in the following four sequential stages: resisting, giving in, opening the door, and making the match. Personal barriers deterred the caregivers from seeking help, and once the caregivers engaged formal help the influence of characteristics of the health care system and individual staff members had both enabling and disabling effects. For caregivers whose use of formal support involved admitting their relative to a long-term care facility, the phase of making the match was followed by redesigning their caregiver role.
Support from family and friends is important in caregiving and has been associated with positive health of the caregiver. Reciprocity is a dimension of support that may be restricted in the relationships of caregivers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether reciprocity exists in relationships with friends and family as well as with the care recipient. Two groups of women were included: 20 mothers of premature infants and 20 women caring for older persons with cognitive impairment. Perceptions of reciprocity were explored in in-depth interactive interviews with the caregivers over 18 months. This article describes the four variations in reciprocity and the process of monitoring that were identified from content analysis: reciprocity, generalized reciprocity, waived reciprocity, and constructed reciprocity. Constructed reciprocity was used only with the care recipient. Some caregivers provided care by obligation with no reciprocity. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for research and practice.
The purpose of this ethnographic study was to understand how immigrant women caregivers accessed support from community resources and identify the barriers to this support. The study included 29 Chinese and South Asian women caring for an ill or disabled child or adult relative. All experienced barriers to accessing community services. Some possessed personal resources and strategies to overcome them; others remained isolated and unconnected. Family and friends facilitated connections, and a connection with one community service was often linked to several resources. Caregivers who failed to establish essential ties could not initiate access to resources, and community services lacked outreach mechanisms to identify them. These findings contribute new understanding of how immigrant women caregivers connect with community resources and confirm the impact of immigration on social networks and access to support.
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