Sonia Salari
- Family and Consumer Studies
- Associate Professor
Research Interests
Dr. Salari is a Sociologist interested primarily in the relationships middle aged and older persons have to informal family based networks as well as their use of formal community based organizations and services. She focuses on diversity in these relationships, based on characteristics such as race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender and marital status. Her research methods are both qualitative and quantitative; depending on which procedures would best answer the research question. Her ethnographic research has uncovered situations of elder maltreatment as physical environments and social interaction patterns of elderly persons have been examined in 10 formal settings (including 5 adult day care centers, 3 senior centers and 2 assisted living facilities). Improving the quality of life for older persons is an important goal of this work. Her most recent work focuses on age group comparisons of severe domestic violence among intimate partners. Dr. Salari's research findings are used to advise victim's advocates, medical clinicians, policy makers and community aging service practitioners.
Recent Publications
Sonia Salari (2007) "Patterns of Intimate Partner Homicide Suicide in Later Life: Strategies for Prevention" Clinical Interventions in Aging Dove Medical Press
Sonia Salari “Infantilization as Elder Mistreatment: Evidence from 5 Adult Day Centers” (2006) Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, Volume 17(4)53-91.
Sonia Salari & Wei Zhang (2006) “Kin keepers and good providers: Gender socialization effects on well-being among birth cohorts” Aging and Mental Health Vol. 10 (5) 485-496.
Sonia Salari, Barbara Brown & Jaqueline Eaton (2006) “Conflicts and Friendship Cliques Related to Territorial Displays in Senior Centers.” Journal of Aging Studies Vol. 20(3) 237-252.
Link to Biosketch
