Support Networks of Immigrants in Canada

A Multilevel Multinomial Analysis of Social Support

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3775331
AutoresEmmanuel Kyeremeh (0000-0001-8435-3687, Toronto Metropolitan University, autor de correspondencia), Godwin Arku (0000-0001-7720-1554, Western University), Evan Cleave (0000-0002-9095-9535, Toronto Metropolitan University), Senanu Kwasi Kutor (0000-0002-2637-4823, Western University)
Año2024
Volumen114
Número8
Páginas1731-1743
Fecha de publicación2024-09-13
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAnnals of the American Association of Geographers (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2469-4452 • E-ISSN: 2469-4460
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/24694452.2024.2313509
OpenAlexW4393386265
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas33

This study examines the role of support networks in the integration process of Ghanaian immigrants to Canada. Although social support networks have been widely argued to shape the immigrants’ pre- and postmigration experience, their presence and roles are neither self-evident nor constant. Common conceptualizations of social support exchange often perceive support as unidirectional, flowing only from network members to immigrants. This underlies a rather linear notion of support networks among immigrants. Given this, this study investigates the directionality of support regarding emotional, instrumental, and informational support and the extent to which closeness, delineated as familial (kinship), perceived (importance of relationship), temporal (frequency of interaction), and geographic (location) influence these support exchanges. The study employs a multilevel multinomial analysis of 172 egocentric networks in Toronto, Canada, using a social network analysis approach. Results show that geographic closeness was consistently less important than kinship, temporal, and perceived closeness in both emotional, instrumental, and informational support—regardless of directionality. This broadly support the assertions about “death of distance” and that spatiality might no longer be a key influencer within the social support networks of immigrants

Demographic economics · Econometrics · Economics · Geography · Immigration · Multilevel model · Multinomial distribution · Social capital · Social network analysis · Social science · Social support · Sociology · Computer Science · Employment and Welfare Studies · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Psychology · Social Psychology