From aging Soviets to United States citizens: Immigration, aging, and the cultural construction of old age in New York City.
Item
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Title
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From aging Soviets to United States citizens: Immigration, aging, and the cultural construction of old age in New York City.
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Identifier
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AAI3074639
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identifier
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3074639
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Creator
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Clarke, Kitty.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Shirley Lindenbaum
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Date
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2003
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Anthropology, Cultural | Gerontology
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Abstract
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This is a study of relationships between aging and immigration in the cultural construction of identity among elderly Russian Jewish emigres (a cohort of 34 men and women who lived most of their lives through the times spanning the birth and death of the Soviet Union) who entered New York City in the 1980's and 1990's. The setting is two densely populated neighborhoods---Brighton Beach and Washington Heights. Life histories and participant observation are used to explore the significance of past lives and the ways in which the past, shaped by the more immediate experience of immigration, contributes to the present in the construction of aging immigrant identity. Ethnographic data demonstrate the ways in which memories of World War II, anti-Semitism, illness, and everyday Soviet life are used imaginatively to shape the present: an account of a veterans' association describes how emigres draw from a powerful past experience to create public ritual, achieve recognition, and reach out to younger generations; an account of emigre language classes explores the influence of past educational experiences on the appeal of language study; an encounter with police exposes persisting sensitivity and conflicts about anti-Semitism and Jewish identity; their encounter with U.S. healthcare becomes an indictment of Soviet healthcare and communism. Common themes and intra-cohort variations are identified based on the social composition of the two neighborhoods and differences in age at which key historical events occurred.;The usefulness of life course and cohort analysis confirms previous work on the role of the state in creating inequality, the significance of shifting inequalities, and the influence of historical events in shaping experiences. Findings also demonstrate the value of theoretical concepts used in the study of immigration, particularly transnationalism, and the ways in which time, place and space work to shape individual identity. Finally, the usefulness of narratives in understanding the creative processes involved in transforming identity under the dual influences of aging a immigration is demonstrated.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
