A Qualitative Investigation of the Impact of Migration and Culture on the Social and Emotional Well-being of First Generation Greek Immigrants Ageing in Australia

Abstract

First-generation Greek immigrants in Australia are among a cohort of older immigrants who have been found to experience higher levels of depression and anxiety when compared to Anglo Australians (Kiropoulos, Klimidis & Minas, 2004). Although Kiropoulos et al. (2004) have indicated that much of the variance in symptoms between Greek-born older adults and those of the general community may be attributed to social, economic and health conditions, these factors do not entirely explain or remove the effects of ‘culture’ and ‘immigrant status’. Studies that have investigated depression and anxiety in older Greek-born immigrants have largely utilised quantitative methodologies which were limited in being able to further explore the impact of migration and culture on their social and emotional well-being. The present research project aims to adopt a qualitative approach to investigate culturally specific conceptualisations of social and emotional well-being from the perspective of older Greek immigrants in Australia and will attempt to uncover how this may be related to their subjective experience of migration, personal and cultural identity, and the ageing process. The first part of the present study attempted to explore the nature of cultural identity of members of the first generation of Greek migrants living within a South Australian community. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted by the researcher in the Greek language to examine identity constructions and relationship to the country of origin (Greece) and adopted homeland (Australia). Interviews were conducted with 16 Greek-born immigrants to Australia with ages ranging from 70 to 85 years. Six males and ten females were interviewed and these were supplemented by the administration of the Greek version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Marin Acculturation Scale (MAS). The results of the GDS showed a mean score of expressed depressive ideation below the level of clinical significance for the total group of participants, as well as for males and females separately; however, males scored, on average, slightly higher than the females. The results of the MAS indicated a relatively low level of acculturation for both males and females, with females scoring, on average, slightly higher than males. The results showed particularly that all participants preferred to speak Greek both at home and socially, but regretted their inability to learn English. An inductive thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that only a minority of the participants embraced a hybrid or Australian identity. The majority assumed a mono-ethnic identity as ‘Greek’, and this was attributed to Greek as their spoken language and almost exclusive socialisation within the Greek community. While a number of participants were unable to relinquish their strong identification with Greece as their ‘patrida’ or ‘motherland’, others expressed feelings of estrangement and of being treated like a foreigner (‘xenos’) when in Greece. The sense of a double loss and of feeling displaced both within their country of birth and their adopted homeland is discussed within the context of research that examines the relationship between a sense of identity, belonging and psychological well-being when one is ageing ‘out of place’. Although older Greek migrants constitute the second largest established minority group in Australia, they have largely been overlooked in research examining concepts of ‘successful ageing’ or ‘ageing well’. The second part of this study examined perceptions of ageing, sense of well-being, and needs in later life among members of the first generation of Greek migrants living within a South Australian community. An inductive thematic analysis of data from 16 in-depth interviews with Greek-born immigrants revealed that the perception of ageing is significantly influenced by, for example, family closeness and interconnectedness; the level and quality of social support; a sense of security; an acceptance of the ageing process as ‘preordained fate’ or ‘God’s will’; maintaining a positive outlook; and health of the self and the family as paramount and integral to well-being. The most reported concerns and fears expressed included a loss of physical independence or cognitive functioning; not being able to speak English; remaining alone and coping with loneliness; not becoming a burden on their adult children in the event of incapacitation; managing finances on the Age Pension; and the prospect of being placed in a nursing home. While elements of this study resonate with concepts of ageing well, as encapsulated by Rowe and Kahn’s (1997) model of successful ageing, it has also illuminated culturally specific concepts of ageing well. Hence, this study can contribute not only to conceptual debates regarding the assumptions of the universal applicability of conceptualisations of ‘ageing well’, but can also progress our understanding of how this cohort of Greek migrants have adapted to the ageing process.