The increasing proportions of older people in the populations of many societies and the patterns of increasing global mobility make social services with ageing ethnic minorities of ever greater importance to social wo...The increasing proportions of older people in the populations of many societies and the patterns of increasing global mobility make social services with ageing ethnic minorities of ever greater importance to social work practitioners. The paper reviews current knowledge and understanding of factors that contribute to social functioning within and outside the family among one migrant group： older ethnic Chinese in Western countries. The findings show that the capacity to maintain a functional social role varies across different groups of Chinese ethnic elders： some are marginalized and excluded from mainstream social engagement on a number of different levels. Some have difl!iculty in accessing public services; some are in a disadvantageous position with regard to wider social connections; and others are empowered in later life in terms of income, social engagement, autonomy and being in a collective, reciprocal relationship. The impact of these factors is complicated by the mixture of the older people＇s cultural heritage, degree of acculturation, socioeconomic status, educational achievements, patterns and history of immigration, refigious beliefs, and family dynamics. Similarly these factors must be understood by social service professionals for providing services to match the needs of ethnic Chinese older people.展开更多
文摘The increasing proportions of older people in the populations of many societies and the patterns of increasing global mobility make social services with ageing ethnic minorities of ever greater importance to social work practitioners. The paper reviews current knowledge and understanding of factors that contribute to social functioning within and outside the family among one migrant group： older ethnic Chinese in Western countries. The findings show that the capacity to maintain a functional social role varies across different groups of Chinese ethnic elders： some are marginalized and excluded from mainstream social engagement on a number of different levels. Some have difl!iculty in accessing public services; some are in a disadvantageous position with regard to wider social connections; and others are empowered in later life in terms of income, social engagement, autonomy and being in a collective, reciprocal relationship. The impact of these factors is complicated by the mixture of the older people＇s cultural heritage, degree of acculturation, socioeconomic status, educational achievements, patterns and history of immigration, refigious beliefs, and family dynamics. Similarly these factors must be understood by social service professionals for providing services to match the needs of ethnic Chinese older people.
