Ageism, age relations, and garment industry work in Montreal.

This study examined the complexities of age relations at work. Garment workers believed that their fate was linked to ageism and that their work experience was discounted by management. Managers wanted to be rid of older workers because they commanded higher wages than younger workers. The issue was cost reduction, and age was implicated unintendedly. Still, managers seemed to use stereotypical images to discourage older workers and they did not organize work routines to facilitate the adaptation of them. Instead, they subcontracted the easy jobs, relying on the experience of the older employees for difficult work while not adapting the workplace. Theoretically, the authors argue that ageism and age discrimination can best be understood through a recognition of the importance of structured age relations and human agency.

Measuring psychological well-being in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.

The Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CHSA) provided an opportunity to examine the positive aspects of aging. CHSA-2 included the 18-item Ryff multidimensional measure of well-being, which taps six core theoretical dimensions of positive psychological functioning. The measure was administered to 4,960 seniors without severe cognitive impairment or dementia at CSHA-2. Intercorrelations across scales were generally low. At the same time, the internal consistency reliability of each of the 6 subscales was not found to be high. Confirmatory factor analyses provide support for a 6-factor model, although some items demonstrate poor factor loadings. The well-being measures in CSHA-2 provide an opportunity to examine broad, descriptive patterns of well-being in Canadian seniors.

Sexual partnering and risk of HIV/STD among Aboriginals.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the contribution of patterns of sexual partnering to the spread of HIV/STD infection between communities. METHODS: 651 randomly selected Aboriginals from 11 reserve communities in Ontario were interviewed. This analysis included those who had sex in the previous 12 months. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses identified associations with patterns of sexual partnering. RESULTS: 22% reported having partners from both within and outside the community, 51% from within only, and 27% from outside only. Those with partners from both within and outside were more likely to be male, unmarried, from a remote community, have more sexual partners and perceive that their behaviour placed them at higher risk of HIV/STD infection. They were least likely to perceive their community to be at risk from their behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that Aboriginal communities are not insulated and that HIV could spread rapidly if introduced.

Differences in sexual risk-taking behavior with state of inebriation in an aboriginal population in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: This article describes the self-reported use of substances, participation in unprotected intercourse and differences in sexual risk-taking behavior with state of inebriation among a group of aboriginal (First Nations) people in Ontario. And, in so doing, attempts to answer some of the questions about the association between the use of alcohol and sexual risk taking in this population. METHOD: The project was developed in a partnership between an aboriginal steering committee and university researchers. Data were collected via interview from 658 randomly selected status First Nations people living within 11 reserve communities in the province. RESULTS: Of the 426 individuals included in the within subject analysis 9.6% reported variation in their participation in sex, 13.8% variation in their participation in intercourse and 10.3% variation in their participation in unprotected intercourse with inebriation. An examination of individual behavior across "sober" and "drunk or high" states showed that there were almost equal proportions of respondents who only participated in unsafe sex when sober and respondents who only participated in unsafe sex when drunk or high. Where significant differences occurred, individuals were more likely to report a shift towards no sex or no intercourse with inebriation, not towards unprotected intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: Since a large proportion of individuals in this study engage in unprotected intercourse, the small proportion of individuals reporting different sexual behavior were more likely to report participation in a safe activity rather than an unsafe activity while "drunk or high." Stereotypes and assumptions may lead educators and researchers to feel the need to focus their messages on the relationship between drug and alcohol consumption and unsafe sex; however, the amount of unsafe sexual intercourse that occurs only while individuals are inebriated suggests that this focus is not of principal concern.

Sociology, psychology, and the theoretical legacy of the Kansas City studies.

The theoretical impact of the Kansas City Studies stems from issues ignored as much as from those addressed. The largest concerted gerontological investigation of its day had a profound influence on the field through publications and through students trained through the studies. The studies advanced the search for "normal" aging but did not initially adequately address diversity. However, over time, investigators were forced to recognize diversity in their data. They contributed to viewing aging in a life course perspective, an advance over previous emphases on "the aged." The studies adopted and furthered a highly individualistic understanding of aging, while the sociological analyses from the studies lacked an adequate conceptualization of social structure.

Depressive symptoms in family caregivers of long-stay patients.

Factors contributing to depressive symptoms in a group of 67 family caregivers of hospitalized "long-stay" patients were investigated. Levels of depressive symptoms were quite high and were related to level of patient dependency, caregiver's health, feeling too many demands were being made on the caregiver, feeling torn between the patient's needs and the caregiver's own needs, not getting enough rest, amount of time spent in caregiving activities, feeling someone else could take over caregiving if necessary, and perceptions of staff. The factors contributing to depressive symptoms differed among spouses, children and other caregivers, but for all the strongest contributor was experiencing difficulty with staff.

Sociodemographic and health characteristics of Anglophone Canadian and U.S. snowbirds.

Data from a survey of anglophone Canadian snowbirds wintering in Florida and one of U.S. snowbirds in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley are used to compare the two groups in terms of sociodemographics, chronic health conditions, and use of health services. The Canadians were younger and reported fewer chronic problems than did the U.S. snowbirds; Canadians aged 65 and over had a lower reported prevalence for four of five chronic conditions than did persons of the same age in the Canadian population. In contrast, the U.S. snowbirds had higher reports on four of the conditions than did U.S. Whites aged 65 and over. Hypotheses are suggested for future research, and methodological issues are discussed.

On the nesting of snowbirds: a question about seasonal and permanent migrants.

This essay asserts that seasonal and permanent migration may be connected, although there is no direct evidence for this relationship in the current research literature. We draw circumstantial and incomplete evidence for this proposition from findings of a recent survey of Canadian snowbirds in Florida and a parallel study of Canadian-Americans using the 1980 census public use sample migrant file. Other researchers are encouraged to settle the issue by including appropriate items in surveys of snowbirds that would determine whether or not some of the permanent migrants from the same origin serve as an unofficial reception committee for winter visitors, providing for them a socially receptive place to "nest" for the season.

Is parent care normative? The experiences of a sample of middle-aged women.

In the current literature on parent care, the assertion is made that modern women at some time in their lives may expect to be sandwiched between responsibilities to old parents and their other commitments. This article presents the distribution for a random sample of 163 women aged 40 to 69 with respect to combinations of variables or commitment configurations that have been identified in the literature as contributing to women's being "caught in the middle." In addition, the lifetime caregiving experiences and the likelihood that those who have not yet been caregivers will be "caught" are examined for a subsample of the women. The argument is made that adult children rather than caregivers to frail parents are the appropriate population on which to focus if the incidence and prevalence of the involvement of adult children in parent care are to be ascertained.

Health care utilization of Canadian snowbirds: an example of strategic planning.

Older English-speaking Canadian seasonal migrants to Florida (N = 2046) were surveyed during the winter of 1986. They are users of two health care systems and are generally in good health. When they do need to use health care resources, however, they show a distinct preference for the Canadian system. There is a sensitivity to health concerns, especially among the older of the migrants. This sensitivity generates considerable precautionary behavior including pretravel visits to their Canadian family doctors, stocking up on drugs before the trip, and taking out health insurance for Canadians traveling abroad. The behavior is strategic in that it is both intentional and oriented to contingencies. Cost of health care may be a motivating factor because such strategic behavior is inversely related to income in this relatively affluent migrating population. The flock of Canadian snowbirds is not likely to place exorbitant demands on the U.S. health care system.

Fatigue and concerns about quality of care among Ontario interns and residents.

In postgraduate medical training the heavy and irregular workloads are thought to result in fatigue and a potential decrease in the quality of care provided by interns and residents. We investigated these concerns among Ontario interns and residents. Information from 1805 house staff in all specialties and different years of postgraduate education suggested a relation between hours of work, fatigue and concerns about the quality of care.

Older Canadians in Florida. The social networks of international seasonal migrants.

This study focuses on selected aspects of the social networks of older Canadians who are seasonal migrants to Florida, using a large respondent pool solicited from the readership of a newspaper serving the Canadian population in Florida. Findings such as the high rate of home ownership and the geographic stability of their Florida destination indicate the degree of integration in Florida. The respondent's contact with family members is relatively high while in Canada but considerably lower when in Florida. However, for a minority of respondents, a seasonal migration brings them closer to family members. This reduction of family contact is compensated by new friendships formed in the predominantly age-homogeneous residential environment of Florida. It is clear that older Canadians who winter in Florida have strong social networks when they are away from home.

Convenience and the occurrence of births: induction of labor in the United States and Canada.

This paper, using data for the United States and Canada on number of births by day of the week, presents indirect evidence for the widespread incidence of the practice of elective induction. For both the United States and Canada, it is found that substantially fewer births occur on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays than on weekdays. Controlling for such factors as prenatal care, race, education, legitimacy, birth weight, and time trend strongly suggests that the induction of labor is responsible for the patterns found. The paper concludes by discussing the framework within which the practice of elective induction of labor should be evaluated and justified.

No exit: a symbolic interactionist perspective on aging.

Most research on socialization for old age, including that of Rosow, Neugarten, and Riley, reflects a normative bias. An alternative perspective on later life is put forth from the symbolic-interactionist tradition in sociology. The concepts of career and status passage reflect an imagery of humans capable of exercising choice and negotiating their way through life. Later life is seen as a unique status passage in that it is inevitable, irreversible, and does not lead to any subsequent status. Controlling the passage therefore assumes great importance.

Notes for a radical gerontology.

The predominant theoretical perspectives in social gerontology reflect a normative bias toward adjustment of aging individuals to the society. This bias is reinforced through the methodological predelictions of most gerontologists. We outline the premises of a radical scholarship for gerontology which would provide an alternative, illustrating from selected works. A radical scholorship in gerontology would avoid the individualistic and adjustment biases, and would recognize that life in society is characterized by conflict, negotiation and compromise over politico-economic and other interests. Methodologically, it would seek to explicate the interests and aspirations of the aged in their own terms, and as relevant in the socio-historical context.