A child's conception of another world: A Chinese boy's view of Canada

Abstract

This case study explores the development of a six-year-old Chinese boy of an immigrant family from Hong Kong, who was placed in a new physical, social and cultural context: Canada. In this study, the following four themes are adopted to explain the relevant changes: changes of space and time, changes of roles and relationship, changes of networks and media, and changes of status and identity. During the research process, it was found that if there is support from the family and the school, the adjustment of the child seems easier than is the case with adults; because it is easier for the child to learn a new language, the child has less resistance to new identities and to other ethnic groups. This study provides useful information for assisting human service professionals who are working with Chinese immigrant families with young children, as well as insights for researchers conducting qualitative research on young children.