Vulnerabilities and strengths in parent-adolescent relationships in Bangladeshi immigrant families in Alberta
Abstract
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 parent-adolescent 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.
Notes
Location
Edmonton
Calgary
Alberta
Key recommendations
Creation of workshops in relation to immigrant parents and adolescents to help their integration into Canadian society
Development of counseling for immigrant youth and parents
Informing educational personnel on how to help immigrant adolescents integrate into their school better, preventing bullying
Key populations
Bangladeshi
female adolescents
immigrant parents
Key findings
Immigrants in their adolescence may feel conflict between parental expectations and friends groups/fitting in
All adolescents had difficulties integrating after immigration, and resulted in potential strains in relationships with parents
Adolescents immigrating may experience feelings of isolation from peers due to cultural and language barriers, as well as feeling different from peers due to accents, ethnicity, and some participants feared wearing Hijab or practicing religious beliefs (i.e. fasting for Ramadan; all participants are Muslim) due to bullying
Parents of participants worried about their children losing touch with their culture, due to bullying, and preference for the mainstream culture (i.e. Christmas holidays but no Eid holidays)
Parent-youth relationships may be further strained due to differing beliefs, resulting in differing restrictions for children compared to their peers
Different treatment of male and female children may produce more resentment between children and parents
Parents face career and economic challenges, and difficulty in parenting
Resilience of immigrant parents and adolescents were sourced from optimism about the future, spiritual beliefs, openness and parental encouragement
Integration timeline
At least one year in Canada
Gaps identified
Lack of studies examining the influence of immigration on parent-adolescent children relationships
This study may not be applicable to immigrant families outside of the range of 1-8 years of residence in Canada
Participants likely have connections in the community
Participants were highly educated, and were not refugees
Only female adolescents were selected
More South Asian Communities could be identified
Community organizations
None
Open-access-No