This study investigated the challenges and parent-adolescent relationship factors that
contribute to resilience and the successful adjustment of Bangladeshi families following
immigration to Canada. The systems framework of family resilience (Walsh, 2006) was
used to interpret how Bangladeshi immigrant adolescents and parents experienced and
navigated immigration challenges. Using a qualitative approach, four adolescent girls and
four parents of adolescents were interviewed to inquire into their experience of
challenges related to adolescent development, the immigrant experiences, and parentadolescent
relationships influencing their post-immigration adjustment. Immigrant
adolescents faced language and cultural barriers, bullying and discrimination in their
school environment while rituals, customs and values from their culture of origin
diminished. They felt pressured by their parent’s career expectations and felt they
suffered gender discrimination in the family. Parents faced economic and career
challenges and a difficult parenting experience. Optimism about the future, parental
encouragement, mutual empathy of each other’s struggles, sharing feelings, open and
clear communication, flexibility in parenting style and anchoring in cultural values and
religious beliefs helped parents and adolescents become more resilient in maintaining a
positive outlook with a positive view of their immigration. In some cases, the challenges
of immigration pulled the families closer together in mutual support. It is hoped that
findings from this study will assist in developing effective social programmes to ease
adolescents’ and parents’ transitions among immigrants and to promote resiliency in
immigrant families. / ix, 133 leaves ; 29 cm
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:ALU.w.uleth.ca/dspace#10133/3425 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Afroz, Farzana, University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences |
| Contributors | Lee, Bonnie |
| Publisher | Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, c2013, Health Sciences |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | en_CA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | Thesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences) |
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