371 module 10: family policy and politics

both policy and politics are

ACTION oriented

policy stipulates guidelines for steps and actions in a

political setting

Politics, according to the classic definition of Harold Lasswell (1936), refers to

the question of ‘who gets what, when, and
how?

• But sociologically, the question of ‘WHY?’ can be added

All plans, programs, and (in)actions of any government
are intended to meet certain political needs at any given
point in time, irrespective of

the intended or the
untended consequences that may accompany these.

Immigration is one of the important issues that is
directly affected by

politics and policies, and this is
consequential for family life

Migration is a

global phenomenon

Global migration rate is on

the increase

According to the World Migration Report 2020,
approximately

3.5% of the world’s population are
migrants (272 million people)

Diversity among immigrant and refugee families in terms
of their

demographic characteristics, financial resources,
and pre-migration experiences

It is important to explore the structural conditions
that influence the settlement experiences of
immigrant and refugee families, as well as the

changes in intra-familial relationships after
migration to Canada

Immigration is vital for sustaining Canada’s
population for a number of reasons

• countering a declining birth rate and an aging population

• immigration’s share of annual population growth is projected to increase from 71% to 100% by 2034, and by 2030 immigration could account for 100% of the market growth

Canada’s immigration program today is based
largely on the immigration system introduced in

1967

after the second world war and the cold war, Canada sought to present a

comprehensive system
that was no longer based on discrimination and
addressed the country’s economic, and population
needs

Racial categories were eliminated as a basis for
selection and a point system was

introduced to bring fairness to the process

The first Immigration Act passed in 1869 was

discriminatory.

• People were discriminated on the basis of race and disability

The 1976 Immigration Act and regulations were based on
fundamental principles of

• non discrimination

• family reunion

• humanitarian concerns for refugees

• the promotion of Canada’s social, economic, demographic, and cultural needs

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) of 2001
gave the government

wider powers to detain and deport
landed immigrants suspected of being a security threat

In 2015, the Express Entry system was introduced

and
the government tied the point system to the National
Occupational Category to determine labour market
needs

The two main components of the Canadian Refugee
System are the

Refugee and Humanitarian
Resettlement Program and the In-Canada Asylum
Program

It must be noted that most newcomers coming to
Canada arrive as

families

• unfortunately, the role of the family in the process of settlement is usually neglected in settlement research

According to the 2016 census, of the almost 3 million
economic immigrants that have arrived in Canada
since 1980, approximately

59% were accompanying
family members

Most arrivals to Canada have been from

non-
European source countries, with India, China, and the
Philippines topping the list

Population growth from immigration to Canada is
largely concentrated

in or around metropolises

Enculturation

This refers a process of socialization by which an individual
imbibes cultural values, norms, and practices there are
indigenous to them

In cultural anthropology, it is believed that enculturation
significantly impacts on how individuals

embraces or rejects religious values, cultural traditions, languages and other components of a culture that are crucial for personal development

Acculturation

• refers to the process of learning the elements of the culture of the host country

• the ecological framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of acculturation

acculturation; in a dynamic model of the ecological framework, emphasis is placed on

ever-evolving human activity in response to the new socio-cultural milieu

• the family is central as a primary resource and a potential constraint in the adaptation process

Four Acculturation Strategies

• Assimilation

• integration

• separation

• marginalization

Assimilation

adopting the host society’s culture at the expense of one’s own cultural identity

Integration

maintaining some aspects of one’s culture of origin and adopting elements of the host society’s culture

Separation

maintaining all of one’s cultural identity and rejecting the culture of the host society

Marginalization

rejecting both the cultures of home and the host society

Conceptualizing Adaptation

• is multilayered

• refers to immigrants’ capacity to successfully engage with the host country’s institutions, such as the school, workplace, and the broader community

• successful adaptation is the outcome of acculturation strategies and the host culture’s policies and practices

conceptualizing adaptation continued: two general worldivew models of adaptation in terms of values and beliefs

collectivism and individualism

several conceptual frameworks explain the considerable difference between the acculturation rates of parents and children

A) generational consonance vs dissonance theory

B) gap-distress model: mql-adjustment is possible as younger generation acculturate faster than the older ones

conceptualizing integration

In Canada, within the context of official
Multiculturalism, integration is the ultimate outcome
of newcomers' settlement

Integration is a two-way process for immigrants to

adapt to life in Canada and for Canada to welcome and
adapt to the newcomers

No enough clarity or consensus in the distinction
between

integration and assimilation

• integration and related processes are often treated as dichotomous categories

Conceptualizing Intersectionality

intersectionality is a frame of analysis that enables a comprehensive understanding of the structural roots of the experience of marginalization

Critical race and critical race feminist theory examine
the multiple and interlocking systems of domination
that shape people’s lives:

E.g. age, race, class, and sexual orientation
- At an analytical level, this involves an examination of
subjective (micro) experiences within the social structures
(macro) to contrast the privileged systems and the
marginalized and/or oppressed ones

Transnationalism

This concept suggests that all migrants are
transnational

Yang (2019) posits that transnationalism is a

“process
in which immigrants as well as their social institutions
engage in regular and sustained involvement in
economic, political, social, cultural or personal
practices across national borders”

A variety of family arrangements are created by
transnationalism

astronaut families"; “parachute kids”; left-behind children
by transnational parents, especially mothers; and “satellite
babies

Transnational parenting differs from traditional
parenting in that it involves

physical absence together
with social presence

Transnational parenting is strongly gendered

higher parenting expectations of migrant mothers than
migrant fathers, as they have a differential influence on
children left behind

Transnational care for the elderly is a growing
phenomenon

given increasing life expectancy in the context of globalization

Canadian Context of Pre- and Post-Migration
Experiences of Newcomers

• stress

• planning

• refugees

stress

the process of migration is stressful for all
newcomers

Planning

migration involves a great deal of planning
and preparation, as well as tremendous losses of
connections with family and friends in the home
setting

refugees

have vastly different pre-migration experiences than other immigrants, and the associated stress can be particularly challenging

Displacement impacts the level of normalcy
families can maintain

including schooling for
children

Immigrant and Refugee Settlement in Canada

Settlement refers to a short period of mutual
adaptation between newcomers and the host society
• The major settlement needs of newcomers are
information and orientation, language training,
establishing new social networks, mental health,
employment, and housing

Entry into the labour market is a pressing need for

almost all
new migrants

racialization remains central to the operation of the hierarchical
skills regime with

skin colour rather than qualifications as its
basis for discrimination

Access to adequate and affordable housing is vital to

newcomers’ successful integration into the host country

The unavailability of adequate housing is a significant challenge
for all newcomers, and a key factor in

housing outcome is the
region of settlement newcomers select upon arrival

Race and ethnicity remain barriers in the housing market

one-third of visible minority populations, including refugees and
asylum seekers, living in precarious housing

Settlement challenges contribute to

acculturative stress

Settlement agencies provide

much-needed services to newcomers
to help them adapt to life in Canada

Settlement services are designed to facilitate the full and equitable

participation of all newcomers in Canadian society

Non-profit organizations are funded mostly by the federal
government and, to a lesser extent, by

provincial governments to
provide settlement services to newcomers

Settlement agencies in Canada offer social programs to

connect newcomers and provide belonging and supports
among community members

While the majority of immigrant and refugee families may
approximate the North American model of a nuclear family,
there is great

diversity among newcomer families In some
immigrant communities, extended family is still the norm

Extended family living arrangements can be challenging to

children, parents, and grandparents

Acculturation and Intra-Familial
Relationships in the New Context

A) event or situation (ambiguous loss)

B) Resources (individual, family, community)

C) Perceptions (boundary ambiguity)

degree of stress and trauma

The Ambiguous Loss theory

for newcomer, there is the experience of a deep sense of loss

Acculturation and Intra-Familial
Relationships (Post-Migration)

Findings show that parents have
changed their childrearing practices in
many ways:
• Tolerance of freedom - independence
• Different time management
• Modification in discipline
• Role reversals

For a substantial number of immigrant parents with
dependent children, negotiating the Canadian socio-
cultural context offers major challenges and
opportunities,

as demonstrated in a study of skilled
immigrants (Leigh, 2016)

The experiences of deskilling, credential re-
accreditation, underemployment and unemployment
challenge

men’s self-esteem and sense of masculinity
and fatherhood

Immigrant women, especially racialized women
experience

barriers to labour market participation, such
as the devaluation of their credentials and stereotypes

For most newcomer parents, connections with
their home countries, while sometimes
complicated, are a great source of

comfort and
strength

Migration also provided opportunities for
families to

demonstrate strength and resilience

For some immigrant parents, migration acts as a catalyst
for

positive change in their relationships, parenting,
family roles, and household arrangements

Transnational parenting due to family separation is
common among

refugees, asylum seekers, and
undocumented migrants

The new socio-cultural context in the host country has
a profound influence on

parenting practices and
gender roles

Patriarchal relations are often challenged, but

not necessarily changed

Traditional gender-based and patriarchal notions of

father as breadwinner and mother as home maker and
caregiver

Women respond better to the challenges of

settlement, and many women take on employment to
support the family

Harmony in immigrant families can be threatened if
there is

considerable distance between the culture of
origin and the host culture

Among immigrant families, substantial
intergenerational differences exist between

parents
and adolescents in the internalization of their culture

The participation of newcomer parents in the school
system is uneven due to a

variety of factors

Four categories of parents’ involvement with the school
system

Cultural Survivors, Cultural Learners, Cultural Connectors,
Cultural Leaders

Despite their educational aspirations for their children,
many newcomer parents may have lower levels of

comfort interacting with teachers and the school system

For immigrant parents, there is evidence of higher levels
of

parental involvement in children’s education than
non-immigrants

Many older adults arrived in Canada through thee

family reunification class

As Canada’s population is aging, there is a great deal
of interest in the

protective factors for healthy aging
among older immigrants

Loneliness of older adults has become

an area of great
concern

Youth represent a significant portion of the immigrant
population in Canada

22%

Difficult pre-migration experiences include

encounters with
war or natural disasters, violence, forced labour, targeted
persecution, and forced migration

The two-culture model

culture of the home country and
culture of the host country – may not always explain
acculturation strategies and adaptation for all youth

All families experience conflicts, and immigrant and refugee
families are

no exception

Conflicts such as child maltreatment, intimate partner violence,
and elder abuse are

legal concerns if reported

Immigrant families have a number of risk factors in common

with non-immigrant families

Higher immigrant density and ethnically diverse neighborhoods
are

protective factors unique to immigrant and refugee families

Women are more likely than men to experience
intimate

intimate partner violence (IPV)

The acculturation process after immigration, as well as
women’s entry into the labour market, challenge the

power hierarchy within the family

Elder abuse may take

different forms

various risk factors in the post-migration context can
combine to affect elder abuse in

complex ways

conservative ideologies and family policies

• endogamous marriages are best

• real face of exclusivity

• attract more older folks

• immigration is retrogressive

• singularity of ideals