Aging with My Family: A Grounded Theory on the Role of Family when Aging as Foreign-born

Abstract

Abstract Background Research indicates that it is the quality of the closest relationships in the mixture of social relations that matters most for older adults. For older foreign-born, especially those who migrate late in life, the family is often the only socioeconomical resource they can lean on. This study aims to explore how older foreign-born perceive the role of family as they age. Methods The study design is grounded theory. Data consist of individual open-ended interviews with 15 foreign-born informants aged between 60 and 85 years old who migrated to Sweden as adults from different parts of the world. Results The findings demonstrate that family was an essential part of the informants’ lives as they lived for their families and their families lived for them. Family solidarity was described as a cultural heritage they took over from their original families and a cultural heritage they wished to pass on to their future generations. They found that this was what separated them as foreign-born from native-born. Memories of their parents reminded them of their biological, social, and cultural heritages. The intimate relationship with their spouses in a life course had served as a source of validation of their individual identities and promoted personal growth and self-esteem. The role as a loving and caring parent entailed a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction for the life lived. And now as grandparents, the role as a link between the family’s historical heritage and the future generation entailed not only a sense of coherence as they aged but also hope and meaning beyond their own lives. Conclusions The informants experienced life satisfaction as they aged with their families, which had been an indispensable part of their social identity. The family was where they found the roles that had defined them and their deepest human needs of self-esteem and sense of belonging. The findings suggest that older foreign-born should be regarded more as resourceful individuals with familial and generational perspectives rather than merely a vulnerable target group in statistics for social and economic interventions.