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

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

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

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