Intersectionality and the Mental Health of Elderly Chinese Women Living in the UK

Abstract

In an age of globalisation and increased migration, intersectionality can help us to appreciate the complexity of various forms of structural inequality and the impact of divergent forms of oppression on a person over their lifetime. Focusing on some of the Chinese women who migrated to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, we use the concept of intersectionality to understand how coalescing forms of structural inequality have affected the lives of many elderly Chinese immigrant women, and how these inequalities have put them at risk of poorer mental health. We acknowledge that many first‐generation Chinese immigrant women have had very different experiences from those of second‐ and third‐generation Chinese women and that each woman's life story is unique. None of the women is simply a victim of inequalities; all are active agents in their own lives, and many women will have found ways to negotiate their lives under pressure and build personal resilience. However, research suggests that many elderly Chinese women living in the UK have spent much of their lives in the borderlands of inequality and, as a result, are often unable to live the lives that they deserve in their old age.

Improving cultural competence education: the utility of an intersectional framework

“…21 Recent studies of health using an intersectional framework have provided great insight into the health needs and experiences of marginalised populations and have been used to make recommendations for improving health care practice. 16,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] This empirical evidence provides a strong rationale for including the intersectional framework into the cultural competency curriculum.…”

“…The findings from each of the previously reviewed studies advance health research by providing a more complex understanding of the health experiences of the investigated groups. Research has also used the intersectional framework to explore race, class and age differences evident in the use of epidurals and patterns of obesity in the USA, 25,26 the mental health outcomes of elderly Chinese migrant women in the UK, 29 and the experiences of heterosexual, gay and bisexual African migrants living with HIV/AIDS in London 30 . Beyond merely uncovering social determinants of health, these studies identify the full range of interlocking factors that affect the health experiences of marginalised groups.…”

Intersectionality, mental health and Chinese people in the UK: a qualitative exploration

“…Intersectionality analysis has been increasingly used in health research to understand diversity, inequality, determinants of health and service use (Green et al , 2014; Hankivsky and Christoffersen, 2008; Lane et al , 2010; Schulz and Mullings, 2006; Viruell-Fuentes et al , 2012). The paradigm emerged from feminist studies; it responds to the early failure of second wave feminism to recognise and theorise diversity in women’s experience, e.g.…”

“…Also, this group has been shown to experience social exclusion (Chau and Yu, 2001) and a high level of race hate crime (Tong et al , 2014), both of which can impact negatively on mental health. Within this community, divisions arising from age, work experience, immigration history and gender can result in variegated experiences including ones of particular stressors and their resulting mental health problems (Huang and Spurgeon, 2006; Lee et al , 2002; Lane et al , 2010).…”

“…Lane et al (2010) adopted intersectionality analysis in order to explore the social origins of the mental health problems experienced by elderly Chinese women, who were first-generation immigrants. They traced their migration and acculturation experiences and argued that their isolation and deprivation need to be understood in terms of inequality in the global economy.…”