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Understanding Social Inclusion from the Perspectives of Tamil Seniors and Service Providers in the Greater Toronto Area

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Understanding Social Inclusion from the Perspectives of Tamil Seniors and Service Providers in the Greater Toronto Area Understanding Social Inclusion from the Perspectives of Tamil Seniors and Service Providers in the Greater Toronto Area Thrmiga Sathiyamoorthy A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for Degree of Masters of Arts Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Studies York University Toronto, Ontario June 2018 © Thrmiga Sathiyamoorthy, 2018 Abstract Understanding Tamil seniors’ perspectives on social inclusion in the Greater Toronto Area is critical to inform programs and policies. The researcher engaged with 27 Tamil seniors and 13 service providers using Concept Mapping and Focus Groups. The facilitators identified by seniors in Concept Mapping sessions created a seven-cluster map: family harmony; medical system; adaptation/integration; cultural-interaction; social-interaction; financial-independence; and services for employment/settlement. The critical interpretation of the map reveals seniors’ emphasis on structural (e.g. old age security) and cultural (e.g. familism) dimensions. Focus Groups participants reviewed the map and their discussion on program changes focused on: reframing service delivery; culture and long-term care homes; funding/other challenges; and oblique references to socially sensitive topics. While seniors suggested necessary changes in their families, the Tamil community, and mainstream society, they remained reluctant to impose expectations on the service providers. The findings warrant more conversations between seniors and service providers, as well as inter-sectoral approaches to improve program delivery. ii This thesis is dedicated to my mother, Sumithra Sathiyamoorthy. It is because of your countless sacrifices, unconditional love, and tenacious spirit that I am in the privileged position to pursue higher education. Your words of wisdom have prepared me to face various life challenges with faith and humility. Amma, you are my source of strength and inspiration. iii Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible with the countless contributions of numerous people. I am grateful for the opportunity to thank them here. To my research participants, both Tamil seniors and service providers, thank you for generously giving your time and energy to this project. It was such a great privilege to work with you. To partner agencies, thank you so much for recognizing the significance of this project and for helping me with participant recruitment. Thank you to my five research volunteers: Anchala, Deana, Baraneza, Sageevan, and Verbana, who selflessly assisted in various capacities during the data collection phase. Your assistance across the nine sessions made it possible to finish data collection within a small timeframe. To my thesis supervisors: Drs. Farah Ahmad, Deborah Davidson and Guida Man, thank you for believing in me, recognizing the significance of my work, and offering your unwavering support during this process. I am particularly indebted to my primary supervisor, Farah. She instilled in me by example, a strong sense of discipline and integrity, for which I am eternally grateful. To my oral examination committee members: Drs. Sepali Guruge, Beryl Pilkington, Farah Ahmad, and Kym Bird, thank you for your participation, and sharing your time, energy, and feedback on my research. Thank you to Fiona Fernandes, the Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) graduate program assistant, who despite the circumstances of changing graduate directors greatly assisted in moving my thesis along with devoted care. Thank you to Samartha Gamble and Sara Liden, fellow IS students and peers, for your passionate encouragements. I am also grateful for the IS graduate program because it supports projects like mine at a graduate level. To my support network of loved ones, I have many thanks. To my extended family both in the diaspora and Sri Lanka, your affectionate love drives my work. To the Rani-Asaippillai clan, also known as my core support, thank you so much for giving everything you had to raise me well in difficult circumstances, for instilling in me a strong, vibrant Tamil identity, and for being patient with me as I continue to pursue new learning opportunities. This thesis is a testament to your continuous encouragement to seek a brighter future for our family. To Sayjon Ariyaratnam, my partner, thank you for going above and beyond in supporting me in times of desperation, helping me keep things in perspective, and for contributing selflessly to my thesis. To my close friends and siblings who repeatedly asked “Are you back in school again? For what? When will you finish?”, thank you for firing up an internal drive to finish in a timely manner and for keeping me grounded in my future goals. To the Tamil community in the Greater Toronto Area, thank you for sharing your stories of life back home and your experiences of forced and voluntary migration, your goals for the future, and for building a thriving network of support for second-generation Tamils like myself. I know I represent a generation that is finally beginning to bear the fruits of your hard labour, pain, and sacrifices. I will gladly carry that burden with me and continue to invest in our community to ensure all groups will similarly bear these fruits. Your existence is relative to the existence of the other. -Sri Amma Bhagavan iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1 – Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Immigration in Canada ................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Settlement Challenges ................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Overview of Social Inclusion ........................................................................................ 9 1.5 Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora .......................................................................................... 12 1.6 Aging Sri Lankan Tamils ............................................................................................ 16 1.7 Evolution of Ethnic Senior Centres ............................................................................ 20 1.8 Research Objectives .................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2 – Methodology ............................................................................................................. 24 2.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 24 2.2 Research Paradigm–Critical Social Theory ................................................................ 25 2.3 Theoretical Underpinnings .......................................................................................... 26 A. Life Course Theory ................................................................................................ 26 B. Political Economy of Aging .................................................................................. 28 C. Concept of Place ..................................................................................................... 30 D. Collectivist and Individualist Cultures ................................................................... 30 2.4 Study Setting ............................................................................................................... 33 2.5 Concept Mapping ........................................................................................................ 34 A. Participants and Recruitment ................................................................................. 34 B. Data Collection Procedures .................................................................................... 35 C. Analyses ................................................................................................................. 39 D. Quality and Rigor ................................................................................................... 40 E. Challenges .............................................................................................................. 41 2.6 Focus Groups .............................................................................................................. 42 A. Participants and Recruitment ................................................................................. 42 B. Data Collection Procedures ...................................................................................
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