This study is an attempt to examine contemporary Chinese women immigrants from Mainland China and their adaptation into Canadian society. In this locally based research, I focus on how Chinese women integrate into Canadian society as immigrants; how they identify themselves in the new social context; what factors affect their identification; and how inherent power relationships between men and women within Chinese society have been redefined and transformed as the immigrant women assert themselves in the new society in response to new opportunities and obligations that are presented to them. This study is based on a series of face-to-face interviews that were chosen through snowball sampling method. 20 interviews were conducted and the data were qualitatively analyzed. I found that changes occurred with their multiple identities, which include class identity, ethnic and cultural identity, and gender identity. Most women experienced downward mobility in social and economic status after immigration due to lack of appropriate positions in the labor market and also the feeling of a lack of power as a consequence of ethnic minority membership; almost all of them have bidimentional cultural identity which means they identify with some aspects of Canadian culture while maintaining their Chinese culture of origin; and traditional Chinese gender ideology still plays a main role in redefining.gender identity which is embodied in the immigration decisions and the conflict between family and occupation. Economic, educational, occupational, social and relational power resources are factors affecting the transformation and redefinition of the power relationship between husband and wife. These factors work together in changing the allocation of power resources between husband and wife and affect the decision making process within a family. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of sociocultural factors in the occurrence of pathological eating attitudes and behaviours by determining the relationship between acculturation to Canada, as a Western culture , and eating attitudes and behaviours in a nonclinical sample of female Chinese and Caucasian university students. In addition , as an exploratory goal any possible relationship between acculuturative stress and eating attitudes and behaviours was also explored. One hundred female Caucasian and 131 female Chinese undergraduate students were recruited from the University of British Columbia. Each subject was asked to complete a Demographic Questionnaire as well as the 26 item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT; Garner, Olmsted, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982). Additionally , the Chinese subjects were asked to complete the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA; Suinn, Rickard-Figueroa, Lew, & Vigil, 1987) and the 24 item SAFE Acculturative Stress Scale (SAFE; Mean, Padilla, & Maldonado, 1987).

This study examined the marriage experiences of four Chinese Canadian women who are married to Caucasian husbands in Canada. Employing a phenomenological qualitative approach, in - depth interviews were conducted with these women in the ethnically diverse city of Vancouver, exploring their lived experiences in these relationships. The findings in this study reflect upon this and tries to bring some understanding to this rather complex phenomenon. The first finding is the non - accidental nature in who we choose to bring into our world. This important element was highlighted in the findings as it speaks to the reasons why we seek certain people to be in our life, including our spouses. The women in this study all spoke about early influences and experiences which reflected a sense of being an outsider in their own world at some point. These experiences have in one form or another shaped how these women approached relationships and in particular marriage. The second finding speaks to the effortlessness which these women present when moving between their Chinese and Canadian culture. The skills of negotiating and interpreting were highlighted by one of the women as a role that she has grown up with but now also finds useful in her marriage. This role appears almost invisible to most people because of the way these women incorporate it into their day to day living. The last major finding is the importance of seeking a balance between the two cultures in intermarriage. In doing so, it allowed the women in this study to find a safe place for them to freely express the two sided nature of their culture which up until then remained separated. In some cases it also provided the impetus to revisit their culture of origin to rework another understanding of the role of Chinese culture in their lives. The findings of this study provide a beginning understanding into the work which these four women negotiated in intermarriage to achieve a balance between the Canadian and Chinese cultures in which they live. The findings from this study bridge a gap in the understanding of the phenomenon of interracial relationships in Canada and contribute to a broader cross cultural practice in social work and family therapy.

The objective of this study was to use a Community Based Participatory Approach and the results of a needs assessment conducted in previous research to develop videos on the topic of consuming fish during pregnancy. Phase one entailed conducting two small discussion groups with Chinese-Canadian women (n=28) to verify that the data collected in the needs assessment was still valid and to obtain more specific information about the preferred style of the videos. In phase two, researchers developed two scripts and filmed the videos. In phase three, researchers showed the videos to a sample of Chinese-Canadian women (n=20) in Peer Nutrition Program groups to gather preliminary feedback and to obtain a general sense of what the Chinese-Canadian women found most valuable in the videos. In general, the videos were well-received and the practical video made a greater impression on the women than the scientific information.

Chinese immigrant women constitute a wealth of untapped potential for Canadian society. Unfortunately their talents have not resulted in self-actualization after immigration. This is because they are among the most disadvantaged groups, being discriminated against on the basis of race, class and gender. Chinese women encounter difficulties in integrating into Canadian society. The two major barriers are: the immigration policies towards Chinese, especially in previous generations, and the women's inadequate language skills, even today. / In the preparation of this thesis, an appreciation of the obstacles faced by Chinese immigrant women was gained by reviewing the relevant literature and government documents. The concerns of Chinese-Canadian women were placed in context by reviewing the history of women's status in China and their gradual influx into Canada. Participant observation of groups and case studies of individual women revealed that immigrant Chinese women are a heterogeneous group in terms of their backgrounds but homogeneous in terms of their tenacity and their aspirations and hopes for the future. The present study is the first attempt at recognizing Chinese immigrant women in Montreal. The conclusion was reached that through education, hard work and persistence in learning the official languages of Canada, they can triumph in face of societal barriers.

This study examines the role of the Internet in the life of diasporic women. Twenty-nine qualitative interviews were conducted with Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Montreal, Canada to answer three research questions: (1) what is the use and value of the Internet as perceived by these women; (2) how have they experienced the Internet given their particular social situation as immigrants in Montreal; and (3) what diasporic identities are related to these women's Internet practices. The research found that the Internet was perceived by these women mainly as a tool to obtain information, facilitate communication, and access recreation. Its appropriation reflected their special social situation as immigrants and women. Their Internet experience was largely involved in the reproduction of their identification with China, Canada and the Mainland Chinese diaspora, and in some case, in the production of new cultural positions. The study also suggests directions for future research.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 244-250). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2004. Graduate Programme in English. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 364-374). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ99225

This study used a qualitative descriptive case study approach (Yin, 1994) to examine the influences on Sikh Indo-Canadian student selection of entering the applied social sciences at the university level. Seven students in the last two years of their undergraduate academic program participated in the study. The study examined (a) factors that had affected their academic and career path, (b) their perception of supports and barriers in pursuing their academic and career choice, and (c) and how they managed barriers. An analysis was conducted using the social cognitive career theory of Lent, Hackett, and Betz (1994) as a theoretical base to understand the process by which Sikh Indo-Canadian young women made career decisions to enter the applied social sciences. Across the sample of participants', personal factors, such as interests and various forms of learning experiences, were cited as significant in forming an individual's career choices. Contextual factors, such as norms held by the family and ethnic community, and requirements of academic institutions, were cited as potential impediments to career choice implementation but were seen as manageable by the participants. Self-efficacy played an important role in moderating the participants' view of contextual factors and their ability to create various strategies of resistance or coping strategies to maintain their career choice. The educational decisions of these young women were influenced by factors such as parental influence, cultural expectations, and considering marriage and family plans. Salient findings of the study in support of the social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) that applied to all the young women were that early immersion with helping people within their ethnic community contributed to their current career interest. Based on early exposure to helping others within their ethnic community, the participants felt confident with exploring their interest helping people in settings outside of their ethnic community. The participants also had developed outcome expectations of making a personal, social and societal contribution through their work. The longer the young women persisted in the field their sense of self-efficacy grew and they would set higher outcome expectations for themselves. They also believed that their career choice was a reflection of their fate. Findings from this study that were contrary to the social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) were that despite contextual influences in the educational system, family and ethnic community to engage in their career choice being perceived as not fully supportive, they still persisted in their career choice. The social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) suggested that if contextual influences were perceived as low, the individual's commitment to pursuing that career goal would also be low. In this study, the participants' planning behaviour and career choice goals were maintained despite the barriers that participants perceived. Lent et al. also posited that a lack of role models in the field would contribute to having lower levels of self-efficacy. In the study, having a lack of Indo-Canadian role models in the field did not have an effect on their sense of self-efficacy to do well in their chosen line of work. Future studies are required to address how Sikh Indo-Canadian young women conceptualize fate, balance career, family, and marriage expectations, and make life-career decisions after completion of their academic program upon entrance into the world of work. / Graduate