2001/2002 PCERII Funded Research Abstract

Immigrant integration and adaptation are central to the concerns and larger aims of the Metropolis Project. Integration is a complex and multifaceted process. The paucity of information on how advanced age relates to the processes and consequences of immigrant integration calls for age-sensitive research. The proposal calls for a 2-year exploratory study examining numerous issues facing both recent and established immigrant seniors in the prairie region. The project has been designed to be holistic in the sense that it is meant to consider senior immigrants as total persons with social, economic, physical, emotional, and even spiritual needs. There are three sets of focus, which will include both quantitative and qualitative data: social and cultural factors, family and interpersonal relationships, and living arrangements/conditions. In addition, issues of age of entry, conditions of entry, immigration admission policies and issues of eligibility for government transfer payments and gender are raised in the study. There are four methodologies employed: a national demographic analysis, a sampling survey of 200 seniors, and qualitative interviews in Edmonton, and qualitative interviews and focus groups in Regina. The study will provide practical recommendations for policy development and program services.