Lessons from My Grandmother’s Garden: Intergenerational Learning and Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is one of the major health crises of the 21st century; the number of people struggling with this debilitating illness is skyrocketing. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States [1]. There are many causes of type 2 diabetes; however, food intake plays a crucial role in the development and management of the illness. Although the role of grandmother has been well documented over time and across cultures, one important contemporary contribution of grandmothers that has not been fully explored is related to intergenerational sharing of gardening practices, growing and cooking healthy organic foods, and the role of food in maintaining cultural values and norms, promoting well-being, and managing chronic illnesses, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring the relationship between the role of grandmothers in families, particularly related to food practices, and the management of chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes. This essay explores the role grandmothers can play in the intergenerational learning of health promotion, as it relates to the transmission of practices such as food preparation and the management of type 2 diabetes

Supporting Diversity: Creating New Constructs of LGBTQ Families and Communities in the Virtual World

This qualitative study explored the online experiences for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) community through examining their connections with other individuals, communities, and sharing of personal stories online. Seventeen face-to-face interviews were conducted with people who identify as LGBTQ. The data revealed the emergence of alternate constructs of families and communities online as a source of support in the face of abuse, violence, and bullying based on gender and sexual identity. Using a strengths-based perspective and a feminist lens, this study emphasizes the LGBTQ community’s existing online resources in order to work toward equality, inclusivity, reflexivity, and advocacy. It reveals that, despite diverse and sometimes divided histories, the LGBTQ community has rallied together online to work toward social justice and equality. Social networks are a platform for a more inclusive and accessible dialogue on how to create social change in the LGBTQ community. These networks emerge as a useful tool to strengthen and support LGBTQ individuals’ fluid and ever-changing concepts of identity, family, and community. More specifically, results indicate the range of perceived support via social networks for seventeen members of the LGBTQ community; implications and possible next steps are discussed