Personalization and the Determination of News

This article addresses the relationship between the construction of news and personal experiences. Ethnography and narrative approaches are used to study a metropolitan newspaper where it is discovered that personalization contributes in large part to the decisions made by editors regarding whether or not an event is considered newsworthy. This discovery adds another dimension to the perspective that news is a social construction because it presents news as a decision-making process and highlights the human elements which contribute to the determination of news.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43552/1/11133_2004_Article_415105.pd

The Convoy Model and Later‐Life Family Relationships

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155905/1/jftr12376_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155905/2/jftr12376.pd

Youth Development: An ecological Approach to Identity

This chapter examines the process of youth development and the impact of socialization among Arab Americans. The distinctiveness of Arab Americans as an ethnic group stems from the fact that their visibility is intimately tied to events and political instabilities in the Arab world. This reality places them in a uniquely marginal position as “not quite White” (Samhan, 1999 ), yet not fully accepted as a legal minority (Cainkar, 2009 ). This wider societal experience provides an overarching context for the study of Arab American youth development within an ecological model. This chapter explores theoretical models for understanding youth identity development, and then reviews research fi ndings related to the ways in which family, peers/school, community, and media play a role in the identities of Arab American youth. This is followed by a case example to illustrate concepts and ideas introduced throughout the chapter. Finally, the chapter concludes with a critique of current research and suggests future directions for better understanding Arab American youth development

Engaging diverse populations in aging research during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from four National Institutes of Health funded-Centers

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on our personal and professional lives required a rapid adaptation to the evolving health crisis and accumulating social stresses. Established measures to reduce the spread of infection and potential death had a direct effect on ongoing research that involved older adults and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. Although important to preserve public health, these measures risk further isolation of vulnerable research participant populations and threatened established community partnerships. To address the social and research challenges evolving from the COVID-19 pandemic, four National Institutes of Health funded-Centers that engage with community members to enhance research and advance the science of aging came together to learn from each other’s efforts, approaches, and communication with community partners.MethodsMonthly meetings served as a venue to discuss the challenges of engagement with research participants and support community partners during the pandemic. The developed learning community also contributed to recognize and address research staff stress and isolation. We describe how these conversations led our Centers to address unprecedented challenges and sustain community engagement within diverse populations, especially Black/African Americans, Latinos, Middle Eastern/Arab Americans and the oldest-old.ResultsThe exchange of information resulted in maintaining long standing community relationships and partnerships in the face of the uncertainties generated by the pandemic. The strategies included adapting education programs to reduce risk of infection, recognizing symptoms, promoting vaccination and understanding of the effect of COVID-19 to the brain. Different strategies were used to address the effects of isolation and maintain community engagement. Although new research participant enrollment was a challenge, telephone and virtual visits allowed research participants to remain active in research. Community members participation in virtual learning events was variable, ranging from a dozen to hundreds of participants. Invitations to organize panels about newly developed topics indicated the need for information from trusted sources.ConclusionIn sum, the COVID-19 pandemic re - directed all four Centers’ commitment to community service led to developing strategies for social support, which will potentially contribute to transforming public perceptions about research and researchers

P4‐655: Addressing Ad Health Disparities Through A Cultural Lens

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153187/1/alzjjalz201909021.pd

A social constructionist approach to diversity and social relations among Muslim Americans

Social relations among Muslim elders in the U.S. were examined to investigate diversity within an ethnic group whose members share a common religious belief system. Data included a web-based survey (N = 264) and semi-structured interviews (N = 18). A social constructionist perspective was used recognizing that ethnicity is fluid, not static and culture was highlighted as a way of seeing as opposed to a way of being. Regression analysis was conducted using survey data to investigate diversity among Muslims elders concerning social contact and activities. Social contact was predominantly with older adults for both African American and European compared to South Asian Muslims. Concerning social activities, the U.S. born was less likely than immigrants to be satisfied with activities for elders. Grounded analysis of semi-structured data uncovered two themes: social connectedness and communication. Each theme provided in-depth understandings of how culture, as ways of seeing the world, shape social relations in diverse ways, leading to the proposition that though family may be necessary for well-being in old age, it is not sufficient. By focusing on one religious group that included both immigrants and those born in the U.S., with various ancestral origins, findings advance a systematic and critical approach to challenge essentialist assumptions in the study of ethnic aging

Social relations and health: Comparing “invisible” Arab Americans to Blacks and Whites

This paper establishes preliminary benchmarks by comparing average values of social relations and health among Arab Americans, blacks, and whites. Specifically, we expand traditional racial/ethnic categories to distinguish Arab Americans, historically and legally considered white. Data come from a unique random-digit-dial (RDD) sample of Arab Americans (N = 96), blacks (N = 102), and whites (N = 100) from metro-Detroit collected in 2011, ranging in age from 19 to 89. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare health, network structure, composition, and support quality. Findings established preliminary benchmarks showing that Arab Americans reported more depressive symptoms (7.6) than whites (5.2) but no difference in physical health. Arab Americans also reported more contact frequency (4.4) than blacks (4.1) and whites (4.0) yet lower proportions of networks comprised of the same ethnicity (77 percent) compared to blacks (96 percent) and whites (97 percent). Unpacking the white category to identify Arab Americans in a comparative analysis identified benchmarks to indicate how Arab American health and social relations are distinct from blacks and whites, yielding unique avenues for thinking about new ways to conceptualize how race and social relations impact health disparities