The Role of Elders in the Wellbeing of a Contemporary Australian Indigenous Community.
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Australia
Community-Based Participatory Research
Community-Institutional Relations
/ standards
Female
Focus Groups
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Indigenous Peoples
/ psychology
Intergenerational Relations
Male
Middle Aged
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
/ psychology
Qualitative Research
Racism
/ psychology
Young Adult
Aboriginal Elders
Community
Community-based participatory research
Group concept mapping
Indigenous Australians
Journal
The Gerontologist
ISSN: 1758-5341
Titre abrégé: Gerontologist
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0375327
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
02 04 2020
02 04 2020
Historique:
received:
11
06
2018
pubmed:
1
12
2018
medline:
2
10
2020
entrez:
1
12
2018
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Traditional Elders are integral to the social structure of Australian Indigenous communities. Due to progressive loss of traditional way of life, however, the role of Elders has been eroding. This study aims to develop a conceptual model of the role of Elders in an Australian Indigenous community, with the goal of attaining strategies to strengthen the role of Elders. The study, conducted in a regional Indigenous community in Australia, adopted a community-based participatory approach. Design and focus of the project were informed by a community forum (Yarning Circle). One-on-one semistructured interviews and focus groups with community members were conducted by Indigenous researchers. Group concept mapping (GCM) was applied to elicit major themes in qualitative data, from the point of view of community members, and to derive a conceptual model of the role of Elders. Fifty members of the Indigenous community took part in interviews and focus groups. The participants' median age was 45 years (range 18-76 years); 31 (62%) were female. An additional 24 Indigenous community members took part in the data sorting task of GCM. GCM identified seven major aspects of the role of Elders, including Community relations, Passing down the knowledge, Dealing with racism and oppression, Building a better resourced community, Intergenerational connectedness, Safeguarding our identity, and Caring for our youth. Elders fulfill many important roles in contemporary Indigenous communities. Our results can be used to assist the community to codesign a program to increase community wellbeing.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Traditional Elders are integral to the social structure of Australian Indigenous communities. Due to progressive loss of traditional way of life, however, the role of Elders has been eroding. This study aims to develop a conceptual model of the role of Elders in an Australian Indigenous community, with the goal of attaining strategies to strengthen the role of Elders.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
The study, conducted in a regional Indigenous community in Australia, adopted a community-based participatory approach. Design and focus of the project were informed by a community forum (Yarning Circle). One-on-one semistructured interviews and focus groups with community members were conducted by Indigenous researchers. Group concept mapping (GCM) was applied to elicit major themes in qualitative data, from the point of view of community members, and to derive a conceptual model of the role of Elders.
RESULTS
Fifty members of the Indigenous community took part in interviews and focus groups. The participants' median age was 45 years (range 18-76 years); 31 (62%) were female. An additional 24 Indigenous community members took part in the data sorting task of GCM. GCM identified seven major aspects of the role of Elders, including Community relations, Passing down the knowledge, Dealing with racism and oppression, Building a better resourced community, Intergenerational connectedness, Safeguarding our identity, and Caring for our youth.
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
Elders fulfill many important roles in contemporary Indigenous communities. Our results can be used to assist the community to codesign a program to increase community wellbeing.
Identifiants
pubmed: 30500896
pii: 5222719
doi: 10.1093/geront/gny140
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
513-524Informations de copyright
© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.