Journal of Social Issues最新文献

HIV-related stigma causes multifaceted problems for people with lived experiences. Stigma leads to feelings of shame and disgrace, and marginalizes persons living with HIV and their caregivers by marring social relationships and impacting health outcomes. In April 2019 Ratodero Tehsil in Larkana District, Pakistan, had an HIV outbreak, where evidence highlighted increase in infection rates among non-high-risk populations, including children. In the aftermath of this outbreak, affected families faced loss of communal ties in part due to stigmatizing attitudes. The Sujaag Project employed Participatory Action Research strategies to address HIV-based stigma and enhance acceptance of people living with HIV in the region. By utilizing a qualitative methodology, this study reports manifestations in changes in HIV stigma at four layers of the Socioecological Model: Individual, Interpersonal, Community and Social, and Macro levels. Findings from focus group discussions and reflective narrative reports gathered at varied points of the project cycle create an understanding of how HIV-related stigma affects wellbeing and how a collaborative and participatory approach aids in re-establishment of social relationships. This study informs contextual methodologies for incorporating lived experiences of HIV in program design, service delivery, and policy influence, and can be adapted for other stigmatized illnesses in similar contexts.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted people's lives all over the world, requiring health and safety measures intended to stop the virus from spreading. This study explores whether an unintended consequence of these measures is a new form of ageism. We explore, using qualitative methods, the experiences of older adults living through the pandemic in the United Kingdom and Colombia. Although there were some small differences between countries, for the most part, the experiences were similar. We found that older adults reported that they were seen as a homogenous group and experienced both benevolent and hostile ageism and a loss of autonomy as a consequence of COVID-19 protection measures. Participants from both countries expressed anger and frustration, and increased anxiety, and felt that their individuality was ignored. We recommend that policy-makers, the media, and wider society consider the impact of such health and safety measures on older adults in preparing for future pandemics and health challenges.

People of color cope with racial stigma daily. In this context, support and acceptance from people who share similar racial/ethnic backgrounds can take a special importance. In two studies, using a national U.S. sample (n = 1618) and a term-long weekly-diary design (n = 103), Black, Latine, and Asian students received more support and acceptance from close same-race (vs. interracial) relationships. Compared to White participants, Black and Latine participants reported greater support and acceptance from their relationships. Furthermore, greater support and acceptance in same-race relationships predicted greater flourishing and lower depressive affect, even after controlling for support and acceptance in interracial relationships. These results underscore the importance of same-race relationships for people of color in the U.S. In conjunction with practices addressing structural barriers, opportunities to connect with same-race peers can nurture the flourishment of people of color in the U.S. and possibly other contexts in which they are stigmatized.

This study examined three social campaigns for the eradication of ageism that were undertaken in Israel during the COVID-19 pandemic (April, 2020–May, 2021). The documentation and analysis of the campaigns were undertaken via the lens of the Theory of Change and Five Key Principles for social campaigns: planning strategically, communicating effectively, fostering community engagement, implementing key activities, and using research. We conducted desk reviews and qualitative interviews with the campaigns’ organizers. The Theory of Change implemented by the campaigns targeted self-ageism among independent older people and/or employers of older adults. All campaigns emphasized “active aging” and “successful aging,” to decrease (self)-ageism. The focus on one dimension of active and positive aging may result in ageism and exclusion of older people who do not fit into the category of independent and active people. The complex timing of the campaigns had influenced the degree of implementation of the five key principles. The joining of forces of different organizations and the employment of more diverse representations of old age, may facilitate the achievement of campaign goals. Finally, an empirical evaluation of social campaigns’ efforts is still necessary to gather evidence about the effectiveness of social campaigns.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated ageism (stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination) toward older adults in the United States, highlighting the belief that older adults are a burden. Prior to the pandemic, a growing body of research sought to reduce ageism using the PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) model. Extending that research, participants were randomly assigned to watch three videos (less than 10 min total) that challenged stereotypes about aging and older adults, depicted positive intergenerational contact, and highlighted older adults as contributors to society (experimental condition) or three videos on wallpaper (control condition). Experimental participants (undergraduate students in Study 1 and a national community sample of young adults in Study 2) reported increased endorsement of older adults as contributors to society and positive stereotypes of older adults. In addition, in Study 2, negative stereotypes of older adults and views of intergenerational conflict were also reduced among experimental (vs. control) participants. These promising findings show that relatively brief ageism reduction interventions are effective during the pandemic and for the first time, that the perception of older adults as contributors to society can be increased. Future directions and implications for social policies are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic emerged to be a fertile ground for age-based prejudice and discrimination. In particular, a growing literature investigated ageism towards older people at the individual and the interpersonal level, providing evidence of its prevalence, antecedents and negative consequences. However, less much is known on the phenomenon at the intergroup level. To fill this gap, the present correlational research investigated the effects of younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people on the attitude towards COVID-19 restriction measures primarily targeted to older (vs. younger) population. In the autumn of 2020, five hundred and eighty-two Italian participants (83.3% females; M_age = 20.02, SD_age = 2.83) completed an online questionnaire. Results revealed that the younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people increased the attribution of culpability for the severity of COVID-19 restriction measures to older (vs. younger) people, which, in turn positively affected the attitudes towards older (vs. younger) people isolation and support for selective lockdown on older population only. The main contributions of the study, limitations, future research directions, and practice implications are discussed.

Romantic relationship quality is a robust predictor of health and well-being. With increasing awareness of the pervasiveness and harm of weight stigma, it is important to understand the role of weight stigma within romantic relationships. This systematic review sought to synthesize the findings of research examining the association between weight stigma and relationship functioning. Following PRISMA guidelines, 32 relevant articles were identified. Only nine assessed or manipulated weight stigma directly; most measured body mass index (BMI) and examined associations with relationship outcomes. Although, the association between BMI and relationship functioning was inconsistent across studies, weight stigma, most notably in the form of weight criticism between partners, was consistently associated with poorer relationship functioning, including lower relationship satisfaction, sexual intimacy, relationship stability, and constructive communication during conflict. The existing literature is limited by convenience samples of primarily White, heterosexual adults in individualistic countries. Several studies reinforced and expressed weight stigmatizing beliefs due to reliance on weight-normative perspectives on health to interpret findings. Future research is encouraged to examine the association between weight stigma and relationship functioning and underlying mechanisms using dyadic, longitudinal designs that incorporate weight-inclusive approaches. The development of couples-based interventions to address weight stigma in relationships is sorely needed.

The cognitive health of older adults since the COVID-19 pandemic onset is unclear, as is the potential impact of pandemic-associated societal ageism on perceived cognition. We investigated associations between perceptions of societal ageism and changes in subjective memory over a 10-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected longitudinal data from monthly online questionnaires in the nationwide COVID-19 Coping Study of US adults aged ≥55 from April 2020 to January 2021 (N = 4444). We analyzed the data using multivariable longitudinal multilevel models. We identified an overall decline in subjective memory, especially in the initial months of the pandemic. Adults who perceived that societal respect for older adults decreased during the pandemic experienced more rapid declines in their subjective memory. These findings suggest that aging adults perceived a decline in their memory, especially during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Societal interventions to combat ageism may help improve subjective memory and could decrease risk for cognitive decline among middle-aged and older adults.

Stigma reduction research finds that brief interactions with a person with mental illness can reduce prejudiced attitudes. We examined whether this finding extends to real relationships over an extended period of time. First-year college roommate dyads, one of whom reported a mental illness diagnosis participated in a longitudinal study (N = 166 dyads across three American universities). Based on contact theory, we tested whether mental illness prejudice declines when: (a) the student with mental illness disclosed that information to their roommate; (b) the roommate perceived the disclosure; and (c) the roommate relationship was close. Registered analyses showed that student disclosure predicted roommate perception (β = .52, p < .001), but roommate perception of the disclosure did not significantly predict reduced prejudice from the start to the end of the academic year (β = −.13, p = .172). Relationship closeness did not moderate how likely roommates were to perceive students’ disclosures. Notably, overall levels of mental illness prejudice were very low in this American college sample, suggesting that the value of stigma interventions may depend on the context. Directions for future research and social policy implications are discussed.

Intergenerational programs have long been employed to reduce ageism and optimize youth and older adult development. Most involve in-person meetings, which COVID-19 arrested. ​​Needs for safety and social contact were amplified during COVID-19, leading to modified programming that engaged generations remotely rather than eliminating it. Our collective case study incorporates four intergenerational programs in five US states prior to and during COVID-19. Each aims to reduce ageism, incorporating nutrition education, technology skills, or photography programming. Authors present case goals, participants, implementation methods, including responses to COVID-19, outcomes, and lessons learned. Technology afforded opportunities for intergenerational connections; non-technological methods also were employed. Across cases, programmatic foci were maintained through adaptive programming. Community partners’ awareness of immediate needs facilitated responsive programming with universities, who leveraged unique resources. While new methods and partnerships will continue post-pandemic, authors concurred that virtual contact cannot fully substitute for in-person relationship-building. Remote programming maintained ties between groups ready to resume shared in-person programming as soon as possible; they now have tested means for responding to routine or novel cancellations of in-person programming. Able to implement in-person and remote intergenerational programming, communities can fight ageism and pursue diverse goals regardless of health, transportation, weather, or other restrictions.