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Ethnic Differences in Later Life Friendship*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Brian de Vries ,
Carole Jacoby  and
Christopher G. Davis
Brian de Vries
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia
Carole Jacoby
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia
Christopher G. Davis
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia
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Abstract

Data from the 1990 Canadian General Social Survey on Friends and Family were used to examine the relationship between ethnicity and patterns and characteristics of friendship in later life. Ethnicity (i.e. British, French, European – the most prevalent ethnic groups amongst Canadian seniors – and a “Multi-Ethnic” category) is examined in relation to the number of friends reported, satisfaction with friendships, and the geographic proximity to and frequency of contact with the closest identified friend, with attention also given to the factors of age, gender, and marital status. Although results indicate differences for both gender and marital status, ethnicity emerged as the most consistent predictor. Specifically, the French have fewer friends, they live closer to them and are in more frequent contact. The British live further from their friends, who are more numerous. The British and the French did not differ from each other in terms of satisfaction with friendship. The European and the Multi-Ethnic groups were similar across the comparisons made. These results are interpreted in the context of social support access and underscore the importance of including ethnicity in studies of aging and social relations.

Résumé

Dans cette étude, il s'agit de données tirées du Canadian Social Survey on Friends and Family. On y examine les types de comportements et les traits distinctifs dans les relations amicales des personnes du troisième âge. On examine la question ethnique (i.e. anglais, français, européen – les groupes ethniques les plus communs parmi les personnes du troisième âge – et un groupe type «multi-ethnique» par rapport aux nombre d'amis signalé et le taux de satisfaction des relations amicales. D'ailleurs, on examine l'éloignement et la fréquence de contact entre amis, et on donne de l'importance aussi aux facteurs suivants: l'âge, le sexe, l'état civil. Bien que les résultats indiquent des différences dans les facteurs de sexe et d'état civil, la question ethnique se démarque plus souvent que tout autre caractéristique. En particulier, les Français ont moins d'amis mais les fréquentent plus souvent. Par contre, ils demeurent plus près les uns des autres. Les Anglais ont plus d'amis mais demeurent à de plus grandes distances les uns des autres. Il n'y avait pas de différence considérable entre les Anglais et les Français en ce qui concerne le taux de satisfaction des relations amicales. Les comparaisons effectuées ont signalé des ressemblances entre les groupes européens et «multi-ethniques». Les résultats de la présente étude sont interprétés par rapport à l'accès à un réseau social et ils servent à raffermir l'inclusion de la question ethnique dans des études sur le vieillissement et les relations sociales.

Keywords

EthnicityFriendship.Ethnicitéamitié.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , Été/Summer 1996 , pp. 226 - 244
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1996

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