Comparison of the Pandemic Experiences of British and Syrian Old Women Living Alone in Turkey

Year 2022, , 318 - 334, 28.11.2022

Vefa Saygın Öğütle , Funda Sönmez Öğütle , Hilal Sevlü , Duygu Sarımuratoğlu

https://doi.org/10.56074/msgsusbd.1165062

Abstract

Makale, pandeminin yaşlı göçmen kadınların yalnızlık ve damgalanma deneyimleri üzerindeki etkisini incelemede göçmenlik statüsü, sosyal izolasyon ve algılanan sosyal desteğin açıklayıcı katkılarını incelemenin önemini vurgulamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, ortak araştırmacılar, Gaziantep'te 15 Suriyeli kadın ve Muğla'da 6 Britanyalı kadınla derinlemesine görüşme ve gözlem teknikleri kullanarak görüşmüşlerdir. Araştırma kapsamında yaşlı göçmen kadınların etnik köken, inanç, sınıf gibi konumlarına bağlı olarak yalnızlığı farklı deneyimledikleri ileri sürmektedir. Ayrıca bireysel ve toplulukçu temelli yaşam biçimlerinin Covid-19 sürecinde katılımcıların yalnızlık ve sosyal izolasyon deneyim ve algılarında farklılıklara yol açtığı görülmüştür. Toplumsal cinsiyet, etnik köken ve göç gibi faktörlerin kesişimi, özellikle Suriyeli göçmen kadınlar arasında farklı damgalanma kalıplarına yol açmıştır. Pandeminin sadece bir sağlık krizi değil, aynı zamanda bir sosyal kriz olduğunu kabul eden çalışma yaş, kadınlık ve göçün kesiştiği noktada yaşanan deneyimlerin sosyal krizler sırasında ne gibi sonuçlar doğurabileceğine dair içgörüler sağlıyor.

Keywords

Yaşlanma, göç, kesişimsellik, Covid-19, damgalanma

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK-ARDEB 1001 BİLİMSEL VE TEKNOLOJİK ARAŞTIRMA PROJELERİNİ DESTEKLEME PROGRAMI

Project Number

120K494

Comparison of the Pandemic Experiences of British and Syrian Old Women Living Alone in Turkey

Abstract

The article highlights the importance of examining the explanatory contributions of migration status, social isolation, and perceived social support in studying the impact of the pandemic on older immigrant women’s experiences of loneliness and stigmatization. In this study, the co-researchers interviewed 15 Syrian women in Gaziantep and 6 British women in Muğla using in-depth interviews and observational techniques. It suggests that loneliness is experienced differently by older immigrant women depending on their position such as ethnicity, faith, class. It also shows that individualistic and collectivistic views of life lead to differences in the experience and perception of loneliness and social isolation during the Covid 19 process. The intersection of factors such as gender, ethnicity, and immigration led to different patterns of stigmatization, especially among Syrian immigrant women. Recognizing that the pandemic is not only a health crisis but also a social crisis, the study provides insights into the manifestations that experiences at the intersection of age, femininity, and immigration can and do take on during social crises.

Keywords

Aging, Loneliness, Migration, Intersectionality, Covid-19, Stigmatization

Project Number

120K494

References

• Akdeniz, E. (2020 April 8). Korona günlerinde mülteciler [Refugees in the days of corona]. Evrensel. https://www.evrensel.net/haber/401682/korona-gunlerinde-multeciler-hem-multeci hem-kadin-hem-isci. Accessed 24 October 2021.
• Antonucci, T.C., Ajrouch, K.J., Birditt, K.S. (2014). The convoy model: Explaining social relations from a multidisciplinary perspective. The Gerontologist 54(1). pp. 82–92. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnt118
• Arber, S., Davidson, K., Ginn, J. (2003). Gender and ageing: Changing roles and relationships. Open University Press.
• Armitage, R., Nellums, L.B. (2020). COVID-19 and the consequences of isolating the elderly [Correspondence]. Lancet 5(5), e256. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246826672030061X Accessed 15 October 2021
• Arun, Ö. (2013). International spotlight: developing a gerontological social policy agenda for Turkey. The Gerontologist 53(6). pp. 891-897. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnt071
• Ayalon, L., Tesch-Romer, C. (2017). Taking a closer look at ageism: self and other-directed ageist attitudes and discrimination. European Journal on Aging Studies. 14: 1–4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10433-016-0409-9
• Ayalon, L., Tesch-Römer, C. (2018). Introduction to the section: Ageism—concept and origins. In Ayalon L, Tesch-Römer C (Eds.), Contemporary perspectives on ageism, Springer [open access book] (pp. 1-10). https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-73820-8.pdf
• Baars, J., Phillipson, C. (2013). Introduction. In Baars J, Dohmen J, Grenier A, Phillipson C (Ed) Ageing, meaning and social structure: Connecting critical and humanistic gerontology. Policy Press, Bristol, pp. 1-9.
• Bahar, H.İ., Laçiner, S., Bal, İ., Özcan, M. (2009). Older migrants to the mediterranean: the Turkish example. Population, Space and Place 15: pp. 509-522. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.528
• Banerjee, D., Rai, M. (2020). Social isolation in COVID-19: The impact of loneliness. Inter J Soc Psyc. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020922269 Accessed 12 July 2020
• Beal, C. (2006). Loneliness in older women: A review of the literature. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 27: pp. 795-813. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840600781196
• Berg-Weger, M., Morley, J.E. (2020). Loneliness and social isolation in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for gerontological social work. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 24: pp. 456–458. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2020.590935
• Brooke, J., Jackson, D. (2020). Older people and COVID-19: isolation, risk and ageism. Journal of Clinical Nursing 29: 2044–2046. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocn.15274 Accessed 1 October 2021
• Bundy, H., Lee, H.M., Sturkey, K.N., Caprio, A.J. (2021). The lived experience of already-lonely older adults during Covid-19. The Gerontologist 61(6), pp. 870-877. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Fgeront%2Fgnab078
• Ciobanu, R. O., Fokkema, T., Nedelcu, M. (2017). Ageing as a migrant: vulnerabilities, agency and policy implications. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 43, pp. 164–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2016.1238903
• Ciobanu, R.O., Fokkema, T. (2021). What protects older Romanians in Switzerland from loneliness? A life-course perspective. European Journal of Journal Ageing 18, pp. 323-331. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00579-2
• Davidson, P.M., DiGiacomo, M., McGrath, S.J. (2011). The feminization of aging: How will this impact on health outcomes and services?, Health Care for Women International 32(12), pp. 1031-1045. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2011.610539
• De Tavernier, W., Aartsen, M. (2019). Old-Age Exclusion: Active Ageing, Ageism and Agency. Social Inclusion 7(3), pp 1-3. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v7i3.2372
• de Valk, H.A.G., Schans, D. (2008). ‘They ought to do this for their parents’: Perceptions of filial obligations among immigrant and Dutch older people. Ageing & Society 28, pp. 49–66. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X07006307
• Erdogan, M. (2018). Syrians-Barometer: A Framework for Achieving Social Cohesion with Syrians in Turkey. İstanbul: Bilgi University Press.
• Ertuğrul, G. (2016). British migrants in the Turkish countryside: Lifestyle migration, loss of social status and finding ‘true life’ in difference, METU Studies in Development 43, pp. 475-496. https://open.metu.edu.tr/bitstream/handle/11511/58192/890-5183-1-PB.pdf
• Falicov, C., Niño, A., D’urso, S. (2020). Expanding possibilities: Flexibility and solidarity with under-resourced immigrant families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Family Process 3, pp. 865-882. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12578
• Fitzgerald, D. (2004). Towards an ethnography of migration. Qualitative Sociology 29(1), pp. 1–24. 10.1007/s11133-005-9005-6
• Fokkema, T., Naderi, R. (2013). Differences in late-life loneliness: a comparison between Turkish and native-born older adults in Germany. European Journal of Ageing. 10, pp. 289–300. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10433-013-0267-7
• Fokkema, T., Ciobanu, R.O. (2021). Older migrants and loneliness: scanning the field and looking forward. European Journal of Ageing 18, pp. 291-297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-021-00646-2
• Foster, L., Walker, A. (2013). Gender and active ageing in Europe. European Journal of Ageing 10, pp. 3-10. 10.1007/s10433-013-0261-0
• Foster, L., Walker, A. (2021). Active Ageing across the life course: towards a comprehensive approach to prevention. BioMed Research International, 6650414, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6650414
• Gillen, M., Kim, H. (2009). Older women and poverty transition consequences of income source changes from widowhood, Journal of Applied Gerontology 28(3), pp. 320-341. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464808326953
• Harroui, S., Conkova, N., Fokkema, T. (2020). De impact van het COVID-19 virus op het dagelijkse leven van Marokkaanse migrantenouderen [The impact of the COVID-19 virus on the daily lives of Moroccan older migrants]. Gerõn. 20(2), pp. 1-5. https://gerontijdschrift.nl/artikelen/de-impact-van-het-covid-19-virus-op-het-dagelijkse-leven-van-marokkaanse-migrantenouderen/
• Heidinger, T., Richter, L. (2020). The effect of COVID-19 on loneliness in the elderly. An empirical comparison of pre-and Peri-pandemic loneliness in community-dwelling elderly. Front. Psychol 11:585308. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.585308
• Heu, L.C., van Zomeren, M., Hansen, N. (2019). Lonely alone or lonely together? A cultural-psychological examination of individualism-collectivism and loneliness in five European countries. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 45(5), pp. 780–793. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218796793
• Holman, D., Walker, A. (2020). Understanding unequal ageing: towards a synthesis of intersectionality and life course analyses. European Journal of Ageing 18, pp. 239-255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00582-7
• İçduygu, A., Şimşek, D. (2016). ‘Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Towards Integration Policies’, Turkish Policy Quarterly, 15/3, pp. 59–69. syrian-refugees-in-turkey-towards-integration-policies_en_2781.pdf (turkishpolicy.com)
• Jawaid, A. (2020). Protecting older adults during social distancing. Science 368 (6487), 145. http://refhub.elsevier.com/S0022-3956(21)00058-3/sref16 King, R., Lulle, A., Sampaio, D., Vullnetari, J. (2017). Unpacking the ageing–migration nexus and challenging the vulnerability trope. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 43, pp. 182–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2016.1238904
• Kirisci, K. (2014). Syrian refugees and Turkey’s challenges: Going beyond hospitality. Brookings Institution. 2014BrookingsSyriaKirisci.pdf (madde14.org) Accessed 15 July 2020
• Klusmann, V., Kornadt., A.E. (2020). Current directions in views on ageing. European Journal of Ageing. 17, pp. 383–386 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00585-4
• Kornadt, A.E., Albert, I., Hoffmann, M., Murdock, E., Nell, J. (2021). Ageism and older people’s health and well‑being during the Covid‑19‑pandemic: The mod role of subj aging. European Journal of Ageing. 18: 173-187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-021-00624-8 Laidlaw, K., Wang, D., Coelho, C., Power, M. (2010). Attitudes to ageing and expectations for filial piety across Chinese and British cultures: a pilot exploratory evaluation. Aging & Mental Health 14: 283–292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607860903483060
• Lamont, M. (2018). Addressing recognition gaps: destigmatization and the reduction of inequality. American Sociological Review 83(3), pp. 419–444. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0003122418773775
• Luchetti, M., Lee, J.H., Aschwanden, D., Sesker, A., Strickhouser, J.E., Terracciano, A., Sutin, A.R. (2020). The trajectory of loneliness in response to COVID-19. American Psychol Assoc 2020:32567879. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000690
• Lykes, V.A., Kemmelmeier, M. (2014). What predicts loneliness? Cultural difference between individualistic and collectivistic societies in Europe. J Cross-Cultural Psychol 45, pp. 468-490. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022113509881
• Lynn-Ee Ho, E., Maddrell, A. (2021). Intolerable intersectional burdens: a COVID-19 research agenda for social and cultural geographies. Social & Cultural Geography 22 (1), pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2020.1837215
• Marcus, G.E. (1995). Ethnography in/of the world system: the emergence of multi-sited ethnography. Annual Review of Anthropology 24 (1), pp. 95-117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.an.24.100195.000523
• Marziali, M.E., Card, K.G., McLinden, T., Wang, L., Trigg, J., Hogg, R.S. (2020). Physical distancing in COVID-19 may exacerbate experiences of social isolation among people living with HIV. AIDS and Behavior 4, pp. 2250–2252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02872-8
• McCall, L. (2005). The complexity of intersectionality. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 30(3), pp. 1771–1800. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/426800
• Mutluer, M., Südaş, İ. (2005). Yabancıların Türkiye’de mülk edinimi: Coğrafi bir yaklaşım [Property acquisition by foreigners in Turkey: A geographical approach]. Ege Coğrafya Dergisi 14, pp. 45-55. https://www.academia.edu/4024180/Real_Estate_Acquisition_of_Foreigners_in_Turkey_A_Geographical_Approach Accessed 15 July 2020
• Nash, J.C. (2008). Re-thinking intersectionality. Feminist Review 89, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1057/fr.2008.4
• OECD. (2020). “Women at the core of the fight against COVID-19 crisis”, Special section: tackling coronavirus (Covid-19). Contributing a global effort. https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/women-at-the-core-of-the-fight-against-covid-19-crisis-553a8269/at:https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/women-at-the-core-of-the-fight-against-covid-19-crisis-553a8269/ Accessed 12 December 2020
• Örer, A. (2020). Suriyeliler korona olabilir mi? [Can Syrians get the corona?] Gazete Duvar. https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/gundem/2020/04/13/suriyeliler-korona-olabilir-mi/ Accessed 28 December 2020
• Park, H., Morgan, T., Wiles, J., Gott, M. (2018). Lonely ageing in a foreign land: social isolation and loneliness among older Asian migrants in New Zealand. Health & Social Care in the Community, 27, pp. 740–747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12690
• Presidency of Migration Management. (2021). Distribution of Syrians Under Temporary Protection By 10 Provinces. https://en.goc.gov.tr/temporary-protection27 Accessed 7 November 2020
• Pyke, K.D., Bengtson, V.L. (1996). Caring more or less: Individualistic and collectivist systems of family eldercare. J Marr and the Family 58 (2), pp. 379-392. Doi:10.2307/353503
• Reyes, S.L. (2020). Feminization of aging. In R. P. Ofreneo & J. F. I. Illo (Eds.), Philippine NGO Beijing +25 Report. University of the Philippines, pp. 385-396. Saltzman, L.Y., Hansel, T.C., Bordnick, P.S. (2020). Loneliness, isolation, and social support factors in post-COVID-19 mental health. Psychol Trauma 12(1), pp. 55–S57. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000703
• Sampaio, D., King, R., Walsh, K. (2018). Geographies of the ageing–migration nexus: an introduction. Area 50, pp. 440–443. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12463
• Sanchez, M.M., de Jong Gierveld, J., Buz, J. (2014). Loneliness and the exchange of social support among older adults in Spain and the Netherlands. Ageing and Society 34(2), pp. 330–354. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X13000925
• Schoenmakers, D., Lamkaddem, M., Suurmond, J. (2017). The role of the social network in access to psychosocial services for migrant elderly—a qualitative study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14 (10), pp. 1215–1226. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101215
• Sevlü, H. (2020). Gündelik direniş deneyimleri: Gaziantep’te Suriyeli kadınlar [Everyday experiences of resistance: Syrian women in Gaziantep]. In K. Biehl & D. Danış (Eds,). Toplumsal Cinsiyet Perspektifinden Türkiye’de Göç Araştırmaları (pp. 56-79). GAR and SU Gender.
• Temporary Protection Regulation. (2014). https://en.goc.gov.tr/temporary-protection-in-turkey Accessed 12 May 2020
• Ten Kate, R.L.F., Bilecen, B., Steverink, N. (2020). A closer look at loneliness: why do first-generation migrants feel more lonely than their native Dutch counterparts? Geron 60, ss. 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz192
• Torales, J., O’Higgins, M., Castaldelli-Maia, J.M., Ventriglio, A. (2020). The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health. Inter J Soc Psych 66 (4), ss. 317-320. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020915212
• Turkish Statistical Institute. (2020). Nüfus ve göç [Population and immigration]. Retrieved from https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/ilgosterge/?locale=tr. Accessed 16 July 2020
• United Nations. (2020). Policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on older persons. https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/Policy-Brief-The-Impact-of-COVID-19-on-Older-Persons.pdf Accessed 20 December 2020
• Uysal-Bozkir, Ö., Fokkema, T., MacNeil-Vroomen, J.L., Van Tilburg, T.G., De Rooij, S.E. (2017). Translation and validation of the De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale among older migrants living in the Netherlands. The Journal of Gerontology 72 (1), pp. 109–119. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbv044
• Valentine, G. (2008). Theorizing and researching intersectionality: a challenge for feminist geography. The Prof Geog 59, pp. 10-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9272.2007.00587.x
• van Tilburg, T.G., Fokkema, T. (2020). Stronger feelings of loneliness among Moroccan and Turkish older adults in the Netherlands: in search for an explanation. European of Journal Ageing 18: 311-322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00562-x
• van Tilburg, T.G., Steinmetz, S., Stolte, E., van der Roest, H., de Vries, D.H. (2020). Loneliness and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study among Dutch older adults. The Journal of Gerontology: Series B 76(7), pp. 249-255. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa111
• Warnes, A.M., Friedrich, K., Kellaher, L., Torres, S. (2004). The diversity and welfare of older migrants in Europe. Ageing & Society 24, pp. 307–326. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X04002296
• Wenham, C., Smith, J., Morgan, R. (2020). COVID-19: The gendered impacts of the outbreak. The Lancet 395 (102227), pp. 846-848. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30526-2
• Wilson-Genderson, M., Heid, A.R., Cartwring, F., Collins, A.M., Pruchno, R. (2021). Change in loneliness experienced by older men and women living alone and with others at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research of Aging. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01640275211026649
• Wu, Z; Penning, M.J. (2015). Immigration and loneliness in later life. Ageing & Society 35 (1), pp. 64-95. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X13000470