Scientific article
OA Policy
English

The role of super-diversity in shaping the perception of and services for older migrants

Published inJournal of Aging Studies, vol. 50, p. 1-8
Publication date2019
Abstract

Population ageing and international migration are on the rise. The common denominator between these twophenomena is the older migrant population, which has been steadily increasing in Northern America andWestern Europe. The emergence of this population has been challenging institutional practices and services dueto a growth in heterogeneity. Against this background, the paper aims to answer two questions: (1) does super-diversity in the older native population have an impact on the ways in which practitioners regard and refer toolder migrants? and (2) what kind of service responses does the recognition of super-diversity as a characteristicof the older population, both native and migrant, lead to? The empirical analysis focuses on Switzerland, ahighly relevant case for two reasons:first due to the heterogeneity within the native population, given its threelinguistic regions, and second due to the large proportion of (older) migrants. Based on 33 in-depth interviewswith representatives of local institutions dealing with older persons including migrants in Switzerland; theconclusion of the paper is that super-diversity in the majority population can potentially lead to a recognitionand acceptance of super-diversity in other populations, and in this case older migrants. Yet, at an institutionallevel super-diversity can translate in over-individualized tailored services, which can unintentionally contributeto inequality.

Keywords
  • Older migrants
  • (Super-)diversity
  • Otherness
  • Switzerland
Funding
Citation (ISO format)
CIOBANU, Ruxandra Oana. The role of super-diversity in shaping the perception of and services for older migrants. In: Journal of Aging Studies, 2019, vol. 50, p. 1–8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaging.2019.100792
Main files (2)
Article (Published version)
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Article (Accepted version)
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Identifiers
ISSN of the journal0890-4065
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