Journal of Social Issues最新文献

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.

Manifestations of ageism during the recent COVID-19 pandemic call for ways to combat persistent negative views of older adults and the disparities they fuel, especially in light of the aging of populations. We discuss the pioneering Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative that takes a systems-level approach and offers guiding principles for advancing age inclusivity, which in turn can combat and inoculate individuals against ageism. In particular, the principles advocate that older adults be enabled to participate in core educational activities in higher education for personal and professional development and that institutions extend aging education, research on aging, and intergenerational exchange. The need for educational institutions to be more age-friendly has become even more clear and pressing during the pandemic, where ageism has been exacerbated. Drawing on empirical evidence, we show how AFU principles can be applied to disrupt the roots of ageism and age biases, and disparities in healthcare and work environments. Connections between the AFU initiative and the Age-Friendly Communities, Age-Friendly Health Systems, and Age-Friendly Employers initiatives are suggested as a collective move toward a more age-inclusive ecosystem that fosters the well-being of all people as they age.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting mental health disparities. In India, marginalization based on caste membership, gender, and rural residence are critical determinants of inequity across the lifespan. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of minority stress and intersectionality, this study examined caste-based disparities in fear of coronavirus (FOC), mental health symptoms, and perceived loneliness amongst rural women in north India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 316) completed self-report measures and were classified into three groups based on their responses: General caste (GC, n = 124), other backward castes (OBC, n = 122), and scheduled caste or tribe (SC/ST, n = 71). Using a three-way ANOVA and Tukey t-tests, women in SC/ST and OBC groups reported greater FOC (OBC d = .37; SC/ST d = .40) and greater mental health symptoms (OBC d = .58; SC/ST d = .43) relative to the GC group. OBC, but not SC/ST, group also reported higher perceived loneliness (d = .32). The results were consistent after adjusting for demographic variables such as wealth and highlight caste as an important social determinant for well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic amongst rural Indian women.

This paper empirically explores the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdown on adolescent girls’ and women's access to sanitary pads in India. We have used the National Health Mission's Health Management Information System (NHM-HMIS) data for the study, which provides data on pads' distribution on a district level. The empirical strategy used in the study exploits the variation of districts into red, orange, and green zones as announced by the Indian Government. To understand how lockdown severity impacts access to sanitary pads, we used a difference-in-difference (DID) empirical strategy to study sanitary pads' access in red and orange zones compared to green zones. We find clear evidence of the impact of lockdown intensity on the provision of sanitary pads, with districts with the strictest lockdown restrictions suffering the most. Our study highlights how sanitary pads distribution was overlooked during the pandemic, leaving girls and women vulnerable to managing their menstrual needs. Thus, there is a requirement for strong policy to focus on the need to keep sanitary pads as part of the essential goods to ensure the needs of the girls and women are met even in the midst of a pandemic, central to an inclusive response.

Young adults have become increasingly involved in political and social movements around sexual harassment. This involvement likely reflects political identity as well ideological beliefs about sexual harassment. We examined how young adults’ ideological beliefs and political party identity are associated with their tolerance of sexual harassment, support for the #MeToo movement and the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh. Tolerance for sexual harassment was positively associated with endorsement of rape myth acceptance, hostile and benevolent sexism, and was negatively associated with feminist identity, but not associated with gender or political party identity. In contrast, political party identity played an increasingly important role in predicting support for the #MeToo movement and the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh, such that those who strongly identify as Republican were more likely to support Justice Kavanaugh and not support the #MeToo movement. These findings suggest the #MeToo movement, and the confirmation decision are not perceived as entirely about sexual harassment but increasingly as political issues. Therefore, sexual harassment workplace or university trainings should consider addressing ideological factors. Additionally, in order for anti-sexual harassment laws to be supported by people of all political parties, it is important to frame the issue as nonpolitical.

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and society's overdue racial awakening (Worland, 2020) have created distinct needs for mothers, especially mothers of Color (MOC) in the United States (US) (Breman et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2021). Prior to the double pandemic (see Addo, 2020), expectations that mothers devote themselves entirely to their children may support increases in mental health symptomology within this population (Rahman et al., 2013). Based on systemic inequities that reside at the foundation of many institutions (e.g., healthcare, law, education) within the US, MOC experience increased worry, anxiety, stress, and fear during the double pandemic (Liu et al., 2021). In addition, MOC engage in mothering practices (e.g., racial socialization) that are unique to raising children who identify as Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) (Hughes & Chen et al., 1997). Based on these facts, the authors investigate the sociocultural forces that impact MOC's mental health during the context of the double pandemic through a review of existent literature on this topic. The authors’ analysis and incorporation of intersectionality theory and Black feminist thought uncovers the ways in which these forces may influence the experiences of MOC. Finally, the authors utilize an intersectional-based policy analysis framework (Hankivsky et al., 2014) to provide recommendations for social policy, education and training, and directions for future research. These recommendations acknowledge the influence of power and privilege in the US while building upon the protective factors that support MOC.

The COVID-19 crisis has sparked a resurgence of scholarly interest in the issue of ageism. Whether the outbreak thwarts or facilitates efforts to combat ageism hinges upon public sentiments toward the older demographic. This study aims to explore discourse surrounding older adults by analyzing 183,179 related tweets posted during the COVID-19 pandemic from February to December 2020. Overall, sentiments toward older adults became significantly less negative over time, being the least negative in April, August, and October, though the score remained below the neutral value throughout the 11 months. Our topic modelling analysis generated four themes: “The Need to Protect Older Adults” (41%), “Vulnerability and Mortality” (36%), “Failure of Political Leadership” (12%), and “Resilience” (11%). These findings indicate nascent support for older adults, though attempts to show solidarity may well worsen benevolent ageism.