This thesis analyzes German immigration to Canada in the period following the Second World War and primarily focuses on the settlement of these immigrants in Vancouver. By examining residential patterns, economic experiences, the role of German churches and Saturday schools, language retention, and the secular organizations maintained by Vancouver's German population, it becomes apparent that Germans' attempt to adjust to Canadian circumstances entailed two, seemingly contradictory phenomena: speedy integration and assimilation into the mainstream of Canadian society on one hand, and support for ethnic social, economic, religious, educational, and cultural institutions on the other. The study concludes that assimilation and ethnicity were thus not mutually exclusive. Immigration gave individuals the opportunity to weigh alternatives with regard to social form and institutions, personal values, and the role of their ethnicity in the new life offered by Canada. Consequently, involvement in the local German community may be attributed to as complex causes as the supersession of ethnic origin as a basis of association by other sources of group identification. Yet, even though German-Canadians were highly assimilated into Canadian society by the end of the postwar period, they may have preserved a sense of ethnic identity that did not manifest itself in any visible behaviour. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

Historically, immigrants to Canada arrive, learn the language, search for satisfying work and lead productive, meaningful lives. However, the barriers are immense. Recently, Vancouver Community College at the King Edward Campus has tried to meet the needs of adult immigrant learners. The diagnosis of learners needs has a high priority in adult education. The general form of the Education Participation Scale (EPS) describes reasons why people partake in adult education programs. However, because the data collected to complete the general EPS was drawn from a middle class population, it did not reflect the reasons tendered by disadvantaged learners. Also, the language used on the instrument was too difficult. Subjects in this study were Adult Basic Education (A.B.E.) students, enrolled in programs at Vancouver Community College, predominately at King Edward Campus. During the first step 150 students were asked about why they were enrolled. These reasons were listed, edited and combined with the general form of the E.P.S. Care was taken to ensure that the items and the instructions could be read at a grade seven level. The 120 item instrument was then administered to a different group of 257 participants at the college where the items had originated. Factor analyses produced a seven factor solution of 42 items with each factor containing 6 items. The seven factors are: Communication Improvement; Social Contact; Educational Preparation; Professional Advancement; Family Togetherness; Social Stimulation; Cognitive Interest. For test retest reliability purposes the instrument was administered twice (with a four week interval between administrations) to 63 participants. Reliability coefficients for each factor, as well as the entire scale, were calculated. The instrument was deemed to be reliable over time. The motivational orientations of people from Canada were compared to those from the Middle East, Asia, East Europe, West and South Europe, Latin and South America and other places. There were significant differences in the mean scores (by country of birth) on the Communication Improvement, Professional Advancement, Social contact and Family Togetherness factors. It appears that a case can be made for arranging unique educational experiences for people with different motivational profiles. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate