Antoinette Butler Wilks Supervisors: Prof Trang Thomas Dr Sophie Xenos

1. Brides and caregiving: Cultural, social and psychological resources of older Filipinos in Australia Antoinette Butler Wilks Supervisors: Prof Trang Thomas Dr Sophie Xenos RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia Women & Psychology 17th Annual Conference 1-3 December 2006, VU, Sunbury Victoria Australia

2. Presentation • Introduction • Theoretical Framework • Research Method • Results • Summary and Implications NOTE: (Most figures/graphs/photos were removed for website copy of presentation.) RMIT University

3. Introduction: Definitions • Bride = refers to a woman born overseas who migrated to Australia as a result of mixed marriage • Mixed marriage = refers to marriages between people from different birthplace groups • Intermarriage = refers to marriage outside own ethnic background • Intramarriage = refers to marriage within the same ethnic background • Caregiver = refers to a primary carer of a sick or elderly husband/spouse/parent or child/grandchildren in the family • Urban = comprises capital city; Non-urban refers to the remainder RMIT University

4. CALD communities and ageing RMIT University

5. Mixed marriages & Overseas-born brides Slide 9 Mixed marriages in Australia • Literature indicate that disparity has been influenced by mixed marriage between overseas born marrying Australian men. Initially- UK, Ireland & NZ. Recently- Italy, Vietnam, China, Phils. Slide 10 Overseas-born brides • This slide highlights the big proportion of Philippines-born brides marrying long-time Australians compared to other recent overseas-born brides. Nearly 32% of Filipino brides marry long-term Australians in contrast to only 9% groom born in the Philippines married long-term Australians. RMIT University

6. Filipinos and caregiving challenges • Ageing CALD communities • Filipinos - 6th largest ethnic group by 2026 • Labour shortage and Family Reunion Programs • Scholars and Skilled Trade Migration in 1960s-1980s • Intermarriages/Intramarriages and grandmothers 1980s-1990s • Gender ratio and Geographical dispersion • Paucity of empirical research • Psychological well-being, long term-care needs • Caregivers personal resources and well-being RMIT University

7. Aims of the project: Investigate the relationship between: • migration circumstances • acculturation experiences • coping strategies • general and mental health • use of health services services by Filipino migrants who migrated to Australia under different circumstances (young brides/spouses, grandmothers, and skilled male migrants). Develop a model for positive ageing for this dominantly female community who live in both rural and urban areas. RMIT University

8. Theoretical Framework: Resource-Congruence Model of Adaptation Proactive Reactive Relaxation Develop → Assess → Utilize →Conserve resources • Stress: an interactive, dynamic process that takes place in a cultural context. • Potential stressors for Asian elderly: cultural & language barriers, identity, social roles, discrimination. RMIT University

9. Methods Participants: Philippines-born migrants (40+) • Brides/intermarried (1964-2005) • Intramarried women • Grandmothers • Men Procedure: • Stage 1 Qualitative Interview (N=170) Semi-structured Interview and Thematic Analysis • Stage 2 Survey (N=300) in progress • Demographics, Ageing, Caregiving • Acculturation scale • Depression, Anxiety, Stress • Coping • Social Support Appraisal SPSS – ANOVA, MANOVA, GLM, Regression, SEM • Stage 3 Qualitative Interview RMIT University

10. Results: Preliminary findings RMIT University

11. Results:(Graphs removed for website version.) A one-sample T-test was conducted to compare sample means against population means in the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scales. The output indicates that there are significant differences in all three scales. The sample means in the three scales are significantly lower than the normative value for women. RMIT University

12. Summary: Brides and caregiving • “Caring for husband makes me busy to find the right food – organic which makes it more expensive.” • “Satisfaction to care for a loved one. My love does not falter because he is sick. I give spiritual support.” • “…go around shops, budget well…” • “Pray, talk to friends, join clubs, Filipino and church organizations that help me. I do volunteer work.” RMIT University

13. Summary: Resources Psychological Resources: • Traditional Filipino values and beliefs: filial love, respect and duty, in debt gratitude, religiosity, family centredness, • Positive attitude, continuous adjustment of values and expectations • Language, education, health status Social Resources: • Family, friends, Filipino assoc & services, Church • Health and social support services RMIT University

14. Summary: Variables contributing to positive well being • Religion • Humour • Acceptance • Level of interest to migrate • Migration expectation met • Social network • Living arrangements RMIT University

15. Implications Challenges in cross-cultural research • access to ethnic women in intermarriage • ethnic women in rural and remote • aged migrants from CALD backgrounds Evidence based data • Impact of caregiving in comparison with stressors in non-caregivers • Research design on caregiving studies by: • recruiting sample from non-caregiver programs • using standardized measures on stress and coping RMIT University

16. Filipino brides … • Wife killer's payout refused • August 04, 2006 03:00am, Article from: The Daily Telegraph • THE man dubbed Sydney's "most evil husband" yesterday lost a $750,000 legal claim over his treatment by police after the murder of his second wife. Thomas Andrew Keir was convicted at three trials of killing his first wife Jean Keir but was acquitted of the 1991 murder of his second wife, Rosalina Canonisado. RMIT University

17. Global Migration of brides … • Anastasia King, in this undated photo at the UW, was found strangled and dumped in a shallow grave Dec. 28 near Marysville. She was only 20 years old. / Family Photo RMIT University