Intersections of Gender and Cognition in Older Adults

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is committed to supporting rigorous science that advances what is understood about the influences of sex and gender in health and disease in order to inform the development of prevention strategies and treatment interventions. In research on aging and Alzheimer’s disease, sex/gender disparities in key outcomes are common. But, much of this research hinges on asking a single question: Is the patient or research participant male or female, man or woman? This practice offers few options for disambiguating sociocultural effects associated with gender from those related to biologic sex. It also assumes that self-reports are a suitable proxy for social phenotypes and that a dichotomous variable adequately captures the wide-range of sociocultural effects attributable to gender. The premise of this symposium is to evaluate how gender interacts with cognitive outcomes in order to advance measurement. This symposium will review evidence from five distinct lines of research on associations between gender and cognition for individuals and for individual’s interactions with their family members: (1) effects of normative shifts in American education on cognition in older adults; (2) hospitalization as a risk factor for cognitive decline in racially diverse American men and women; (3) caregivers who identify as sexual and gender minorities (SGM or LGBTQ+) and care for persons with dementia; (4) correlates of cognitive function in SGM older adults; and (5) differences in adults’ cognition based on childhood exposure to women’s social empowerment in 30+ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

Should You “Do It for the ‘Gram?” A Review of the Psychological and Sociocultural Effects of Social Media

Even though Social Media (SM) has penetrated the lives of roughly half the population of the world, connecting billions of people with friends and family, there are disadvantages that span the psychological and sociocultural dimensions of these users’ lives. At the present time, the disadvantages of SM outweigh the advantages. Many users have developed SM-based psychopathologies, such as addiction and depression, and SM is contributing to sociocultural crises, such as the fear of missing out (FOMO), self-objectification, and life dissatisfaction. This awareness has spawned a plethora of studies; researchers are uncovering new complexities about SM, and are expanding communal knowledge of factors that contribute to the psychological and sociocultural lives of SM users. Effects of SM are examined in this integrative review because they directly and indirectly influence the mental and physical health of SM users.

“A Worthless Reptile”

During the 1960s and 70s, direct invocations of Beckett’s texts began to appear in works by writers belonging to a Turkish literary movement called bunalim edebiyati, or Literature of Despair. These writers were critical of the Turkish republic; their productions also coincided with the formation of social movements that sought to address the sociocultural effects of the Turkish language reforms. This paper argues that Beckett’s method and thematic engagement with self-translation informed how Turkish writers negotiated language reforms in their own writing. Writers examined include Adalet Ağaoğlu and Ferhan Şensoy as well as Beckett productions by Barbara Hutt.

Residents’ Perceptions and Satisfaction toward Tourism Development: A Case Study of Petra Region, Jordan

This study investigates whether local residents’ sociodemographics and community attachment can influence their perceptions toward the impact of tourism (economic, environmental, and sociocultural effects) and, further, whether these perceptions influence their satisfaction with local tourism management. The perceptions of 467 residents were surveyed from six communities in the region of Petra, Jordan. The results of a regression analysis indicate that the respondents’ sociodemographics and community attachment influence their perceptions of the impacts of tourism. Gender and distance from tourist sites are found to be very important factors that influence local residents’ perceptions. In addition, the perceived economic impact is the most important aspect for these respondents, and perceived negative impacts do not significantly influence their satisfaction. Suggestions for future studies in the region and possible implications are discussed.

“Little Tablets of Gold”: An Examination of the Psychological and Social Dimensions of PrEP Among LGBTQ Communities

There are significant psychological, social, and cultural dimensions to the HIV epidemic in the United States, especially among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. Biomedical HIV treatment has been shown to impact these dimensions. However, there is little understanding of the real-world psychosocial and sociocultural effects of the latest biomedical HIV prevention strategy, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This study explored the psychosocial and sociocultural dimensions of PrEP use among LGBTQ adults. We interviewed 23 LGBTQ adults who were current or former users of PrEP. Results included that PrEP users’ experiences were shaped by multiple forms of stigma. Participants were highly motivated to challenge PrEP stigma and to support PrEP use among other community members. Lastly, participants described positive impacts on their individual well-being and their sexual partnerships. Findings suggest that PrEP has significant impacts beyond biomedical outcomes for both the individuals who use PrEP and their communities.

Do locals benefit from being in the ‘tourist capital’? Views from Livingstone, Zambia

This study used 268 household and 13 key informant interviews to get the views of Livingstone city residents on economic, environmental and sociocultural effects of tourism on local households and the city. Results show very few economic benefits at household level with residents perceiving big tourism-related businesses, the state and its officials to be the main beneficiaries. Although tourists were commended for helping vulnerable residents, they were blamed for contributing to prostitution and diseases by local residents; and were targeted for petty thefts by unemployed youths. Sociocultural effects of tourism are significant for residents but are routinely ignored or glossed over by tourism development practitioners. Tourism had resulted in a general improvement in the city environs. It is concluded that tourism development projects must target increased benefits for residents to increase benevolent attitudes from them towards tourism in their city, and to ensure a more sustainable variant of tourism is achieved in the tourist capital.