Molly Dondero is the holder of the Migrations Studies – Fulbright/Iméra Chair. Her research project at Iméra, the Institute for Advanced Studies of Aix-Marseille University, examines the linkage between work and well-being among aging immigrants in Europe and the role that polices can play in reducing or exacerbating nativity disparities in exposure to physical and psychosocial occupational hazards. Results will advance knowledge about work as a social determinant of (un)healthy aging among immigrants and of the potential impacts of the aging immigrant population on host countries.
To learn more, view her resident page by clicking here
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0:09 I'm Molly Dundero. I am an associate professor of sociology at American University in Washington, DC in the United States. And I'm a sociologist and social demographer by training. Demography is the study of human population processes. So births, fertility, deaths, mortality, and immigration. In my case, I focus on immigration and its intersections with the racial and social order in highly racially diverse societies. I focus primarily on the consequences of immigration for health of immigrants and their families. And I use statistical analysis of large-scale survey data to look at this topic and more
0:52 broadly to contribute to better understanding the structural forces that create and maintain inequality. My project concerns the health and well-being of middle and older age immigrants in Europe, and particularly how work might matter for their health. And so in Europe, as many people know, as the share of the elderly continues to increase, international migration is often thought of as a way to offset that population decline by bringing in foreign-born workers to replace labor force voids left by native-born workers. But the share of immigrants who are aging is also increasing, raising questions about
1:32 their healthy aging. And as a scholar of immigration and health, primarily in the U .S. context, I've noticed for a long time that work has been an underexplored context for immigrants' health, which is curious because many migrants around the world are economic migrants for whom work is a primary pull factor or primary motivation to migrate. And work is also really important, not only because it confers material and monetary advantages or disadvantages, but it's also associated with physical and psychosocial advantages and disadvantages.
2:10 And moreover, for immigrants, work carries broader symbolic significance because it represents a form of institutional integration into receiving societies. So my project will use quantitative survey data from 28 European countries to examine immigrant-native differences in exposure to physical and psychosocial occupational conditions. The project will also address how this association between being an immigrant and exposure to different occupational characteristics will further differ by things like gender and age and country of origin.
2:50 It's interesting interesting interesting interesting as well as country level factors such as immigrant integration policies. The opportunity to be here at Emera through the Fulbright Scholar Program is an absolute dream. Emera provides an unparalleled opportunity to dialogue and collaborate and cultivate community with scholars from around the world and from different disciplines. And so I really look forward to developing those connections while I'm here.
