Objectives. This study examines the main and interactive effects of age and socioeconomic status (SES) on social networks. Methods. Respondents are drawn from a regional stratified probability sample aged 40 to 93 years. Hierarchical regression analysis estimates the influence of age and SES on dimensions of social networks, controlling for marital status and health among men and women. Results. Among men, older age was associated with older networks. Professional men report networks that are less geographically proximal, however, occupational effects are most obvious in late life. Among women, age is associated with smaller networks that are older, less geographically proximal, and less frequently contacted. Whereas less education is associated with younger network members in midlife, among women in later life, lower levels of education are not associated with a younger network. Professional women report older networks composed of a higher proportion of friends than do homemakers. Higher levels of education are linked to larger personal networks among men and women, but not to the number of individuals considered closest. Among women, higher levels of education are also associated with less proximal networks. Discussion. An examination of within-group variability reveals influences of age and SES on personal networks among men and women.

Objectives. We investigate the association between perceived everyday discrimination and psychological distress among urban African-American women with young children (under 6 years) living in low-income neighborhoods. Specifically, we examine whether instrumental and emotional social support moderates the association between perceived everyday discrimination and psychological distress. Design. The data come from the Detroit Dental Health Project, a two-stage area probability sample representative of low-income African-American children in the city of Detroit. The analysis focuses on 969 female caregivers of young children. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were performed to examine the role of social support in the link between perceived everyday discrimination and psychological distress, with appropriate adjustments for the complex sample design. Results. Both moderate and high frequency levels of discrimination were associated with higher levels of psychological distress after controlling for age, education, income, and self-rated health. There was a main effect of emotional support so that availability of emotional support was associated with less psychological distress. Instrumental support exerted a buffering effect to mitigate the negative influence of moderate levels of perceived discrimination on psychological distress. Conclusion. Findings suggest that instrumental social support provides some protection from everyday stress. Social support, however, does not offset the impact of acute stress caused by frequent perceptions of everyday discrimination.

This study addresses the racial and religious contexts of identity formation among Lebanese immigrants to the United States of America and Somali immigrants to Canada. Each enters with a different racial status: Lebanese as white; Somalis as black/visible minority. Ethnographic interviews explore the strategies of adaptation and identity development within these groups. Specifically, we compare and contrast the Lebanese and Somali experience through an analysis of ethnic relations in the country of origin, the conditions of immigration, and through accounts of their encounters and identity negotiation with the host society. We demonstrate the strategies each group implements to negotiate both race and religion in identity development. Our findings reveal that each group attempts to make their religious identity evident, however, Somali immigrants must negotiate the effects of ‘othering’ processes with both race and religion, while Lebanese immigrants build a religious identity from privileges afforded to them by virtue of their white racial status.

This spotlight offers a unique window into factors affecting aging in Lebanon. As a bridge between east and west, both geographically and culturally, Lebanon has the fastest growing older adult population in the Arab region, but few societal resources to address its needs. In a country with a history of political instability and war, but also a culture with strong family values, aging adults in Lebanon are vulnerable in some ways and advantaged in others. Outmigration of youth is an important determinant of the wellbeing of the elderly. While often advantaged by remittances sent by their children, older Lebanese adults have less access to instrumental social and personal support previously provided by young adults in the family. How Lebanon manages these challenges is likely to foreshadow the future aging experience for much of the Arab region.

Social isolation and loneliness represent a significant concern among elder immigrants in the United States. Data were collected from 101 Arab Americans over the age of 55 living in the metropolitan Detroit area on measures of social isolation, loneliness, acculturation, and support from an adult child. Descriptive analyses revealed that compared to U.S.-born Arab Americans, immigrants report smaller social networks, more frequent feelings of loneliness, less acculturation, and lower overall ratings regarding their relationship with the adult child on whom they rely the most. Regression analyses illustrate that acculturation explains immigrant differences in social isolation; personal status characteristics including poor health and marital status explain immigrant differences in reports of loneliness. Support from an adult child, on the other hand, does not exert an effect on immigrant differences with regard to social isolation or loneliness. Findings highlight the complexity of social isolation and loneliness among Arab American elders and point to future directions to ascertain a more comprehensive understanding of how immigrant status influences well-being in later life.