Harmonizing Beliefs With Realities: Social Support Among Older Puerto Ricans With Disabilities:

SAGE Open

Mariana T. Guzzardo¹ 

关键词: Puerto Ricans;    familismo;    marianismo;    social support;    disability;    qualitative methods;   

DOI  :  10.1177/2158244017715337

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

Older Puerto Ricans of the diaspora live with evident health and socioeconomic disparities, heightening their need for support. They also provide a unique transnational case in which to explore the exchange of support. This study aims to understand the informal social support experiences of older Puerto Ricans with disabilities. Data are based on the translated transcripts of 25 interviews with Spanish-speaking, Island-born Puerto Ricans living in Boston. We identify four themes through thematic analysis: (a) making sense of responsibility within valued familial relationships, (b) conceptualizing friends as family, (c) finding resolve and meaning despite isolation, and (d) (not) asking for help. These themes delineate an incongruence between their beliefs and their lived experiences of social support, as well as how this contradiction is sometimes harmonized. Whereas some older Puerto Ricans with disabilities have support to rely on, others are isolated and lack support to address the challenges of functional impairment.

【 授权许可】

CC BY