An institutional ethnography analysis on skilled Chinese immigrant mothers’ experiences in Canada

ABSTRACT

This research follows Dorothy Smith’s Institutional Ethnography (IE) approach to explore skilled Chinese immigrant mothers’ post-migration experiences in Canada. Empirical evidence reveals that these immigrant women undertake intensified childcare responsibilities by acting as primary caregivers and educators for their children with reduced familial support after migration. These immigrant women are also compelled to participate in paid work as income producers and supporters with inadequate employment-related support from the host society. These skilled Chinese immigrant mothers’ experiences are constructed by multiple discourses that continue, converge, and compete. Under these discourses, skilled Chinese immigrant mothers experience intensified work after migration, but receive limited familial and social support, which leaves them subservient to the patriarchal demands in both private and public social structures.

ABSTRACT IN MANDARIN CHINESE

本研究采用多萝西•史密斯的建制民族志方法研究承担母职的中国女性技术移民在加拿大的生活经验。实证调研证据显示这些女性移民后，承担了更繁杂的养育子女任务，但却获得了更少的来自家庭的支持。这些移民女性在生活压力之下也不得不积极在所在国参与有偿工作，在缺少有效就业指导和支持的情况下努力成为家庭收入的产生者和补充者。这些承担着母职的中国女性技术移民的生活经验是由各种延续的、竞合的、竞争的话语环境构建而成的。在这些话语构建作用下，身为母亲的中国女性技术移民承担了更密集的劳动，获得更少的家庭会社会支持，进一步强化了她们在移民接收国社会公私领域中的弱势地位。

KEYWORDS:

• China
• Canada
• immigrant women
• transnational grandparenting
• immigrant children

KEYWORDS:

• 中国
• 加拿大
• 移民女性
• 祖父母跨国监护
• 移民儿童

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 “Highly skilled” is defined based on Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC). In a Canadian migration context, the concept of “highly skilled” work is largely shaped by the criteria set out by the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which usually requires workers to have post-secondary degrees and at least one-year skilled work experience at the NOC O, A, B level. In this research, I adopted this method of classification.

2 Please see Canada’s textual legislative document of Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), Part I, Division 1 (2) (3) about the definition of “family member.”

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chen J. Wang

Chen J. Wang is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Beijing Jiaotong University. She received her Ph.D. degree in Law from University of Ottawa in Canada. She is a socio-legal researcher committed to the following areas of research: immigration and refugee law, public international law, feminist legal theory, social justice, and qualitative research methodology. Email: [email protected]