Parent-Child Relationships Among African Immigrant Families in Canada

Objective To examine the factors that influence parent-child relationships in African immigrant families in Alberta, Canada. Background African immigrants are increasingly migrating to high-income countries, including Canada, in search of a better life. These immigrants often face several challenges, including parenting their children in new sociocultural contexts. We present findings from a critical ethnographic study of parent-child relationships among African immigrants in Alberta, Canada. Method Informed by transnational feminist theory, we conducted interviews with 14 African immigrant community leaders, 31 African immigrant parents, and 12 service providers and policymakers. Results We found that conflicting cultural practices and value systems, shifting power relations, low socioeconomic status, and gender relations exert both beneficial and strenuous influences on parent-child relations. Conclusion The determinants of parenting practices and parent-child relationships include the intersecting influences of gender, social class, culture, and changing power relations across transnational spaces. Implications Our findings suggest several policy and practice implications. In particular, we suggest a need to attend to diverse determinants of child well-being, including income, gender relations, culturally sensitive service delivery, and changing power relations across transnational spaces.