| dc.description.abstract | Chinese immigrants in Norway are an increasing minority group with little research found talking about them. The Chinese language school is a special organization form that connects Chinese immigrants together and provides a possibility for Chinese immigrant children to maintain their heritage language and experience their ethnic culture in a country that is far from China. This qualitative study recruited samples from the Chinese language school in Stavanger, aimed to explore Chinese immigrant parents’ attitudes towards their children’s heritage language learning and ethnic identity maintenance. Besides, the study used Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development and social identity theory as theory framework to explore the factors that influence Chinese immigrant children’s ethnic identity development in Norway and find out the implications for social work practice regarding this minority group.
Findings shows that Chinese immigrant parents’ attitudes are influenced by their own experiences as well as the environments surrounding them. They have to compromise and accept that their children lose their heritage language and ethnic identity as Chinese, but the Chines language school gives them some comfort and possibility by providing an environment with more Chinese elements for their children. Regarding the Chinese immigrant children, they experience conflict between the two identities, especially when their parents make them do Chinese homework.
More research should be done to understand this group’s needs and provide support for the social work practice and policy makers. In a multicultural society like Norway, understanding different groups’ needs and ow to understand them is a question that we should keep thinking about. | |