Grandmothers Behind the Scenes

Abstract

Research and policy concerning the Syrian Canadian diaspora has not prioritized elders. This article adds to scholarship about the well-being of newcomers admitted via the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Initiative through a focus on grandmothers resettled within their multigenerational families. Using interviews and qualitative field research, we show how the authority and status these elder women once held in Syria may be undermined by their comparatively subordinate integration in Canada. Although new, post-migration configurations of power, care work, and community may present some opportunities, the burdens and dependencies of subordinate integration mostly constrain these elders from reclaiming their authority and status.

The Resettlement Journey: Understanding The Role of Social Connectedness on Well-being and Life Satisfaction among (Im)migrants and Refugees: A Systematic Review

“…Of the five studies that apply a longitudinal design, on average the study follow-up period is 3.3 years. The longest study follow-up period was 6 years [18], while the shortest follow-up period was 6 months, with assessments occurring 3 to 5 months following the baseline assessment [19]. More detailed information is presented in Table 1.…”

“…For example, two studies reported participants were 18 years and over [23,24]. One study recruited only elders aged 60 years and older [18]. The majority of studies (58.1%, n = 25) recruited both male and female participants.…”

“…The overall findings indicate that a lack of social support, encompassing emotional, practical, and relational aspects, is closely associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, stress, and PTSD [21,30,31,37,[40][41][42]; general/subjective well-being [26,30]; and life satisfaction [43]. In contrast, strong social supports-comprising family, friends, community groups, and government support-often mitigate these negative impacts on psychological well-being [21,23,39,44]; general/subjective wellbeing [21]; resettlement process [18,22,45,46]. However, the influence of social support can be indirect or inconsistent [29,32,36,47].…”