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The Role of Ethnicity and Religion in the Social Support System of Older Dutch Canadians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 September 2016

Joanne van Dijk
Joanne van Dijk*
Affiliation:
McMaster University
*
Joanne van Dijk, Ph.D. Department of Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4M4, (vandijk@mcmaster.ca)
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Abstract

This paper focuses on the role of religion and ethnicity in providing social support for elderly Dutch Canadian Catholic and Calvinist parents and in establishing ethno-religious retirement and long-term care facilities. The data come from a 1995 survey of elderly Dutch Canadian immigrants (N = 79) and their adult children (N = 364) examining intraethnic differences in ethnic persistence and parent care. Continuity theory provides the theoretical framework for this study. In the last few decades, second generation Dutch Calvinist immigrants have been busy establishing retirement and long-term care facilities to look after the needs of the older Calvinist generation. Dutch Catholic immigrants have established very few retirement and nursing homes for their elderly members. Ethnic and religious differences influence the kind of support available to elderly Dutch Canadians.

Résumé

Ce mémoire explore le rôle de la religion et de l'ethnicité dans le soutien social offert aux aînés canado-hollandais de religion catholique et calviniste, et dans la création de maisons de retraite et d'établissements de soins de longue durée ethno-religieux. Les données proviennent d'un enquête menée en 1995 auprès d'immigrants âgés canado-hollandais (N = 79) et de leurs enfants adultes (N = 364) pour étudier les différences intra-ethniques associées à la longévité et à la prise en charge des parents. La théorie de la continuité a servi de cadre à cette étude. Depuis les demières décennies, la deuxième génération d'immigrants hollandais calvinistes s'est activement occupée de créer des maisons de retraite et des établissements de soins de longue durée pour la génération plus âgée. De leur côté, les immigrants hollandais catholiques ont créé très peu de maisons de retraite et de maisons de soins infirmiers pour leurs aînés. Les différences ethniques et religieuses influent sur le type de soutien dont les aînés canado-hollandais peuvent se prévaloir.

Keywords

social supportethnicityreligionDutch Canadiansimmigrantslong-term care facilitiesagingsoutien socialethnicitéreligioncanado-hollandaisimmigrantsétablissements de soins de longue duréevieillissement
Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , Spring 2004 , pp. 21 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2004

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