“Preparing Them for the Road”: African Migrant Parents’ Perceptions of Their Role in Their Children’s Career Decision-Making

Abstract

There are numerous theories on parenting styles, however, they are Western-oriented and may not be applicable to collectivist non-Western societies. A qualitative study which utilised semi-structured interviews was conducted to explore the perceived parenting roles of 26 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) migrant parents (both humanitarian and professional migrants) in their children’s career pathways after they migrated to Australia. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods and this process facilitated the creation of a new framework to provide an in-depth understanding of how SSA parenting styles informed the migrant children’s career choices while living in Australia. The study revealed that most SSA migrant parents maintained their style of parenting as used in their home countries. Interestingly, some parents adapted their parenting styles due to their perceptions of changed circumstances within the host country. Other parents, who would normally be authoritative, became trustful due to their perceived lack of educational expertise to guide their children. Conversely, some other parents who would normally be authoritarian employed wily tactics in influencing their children’s decision, so as to circumvent the strict Australian legal framework around children’s rights. Irrespective of parenting style applied, all the parents aimed to either guide or direct their children’s educational and career development to ensure that they become economically productive adults. From the discourse of the SSA migrants’ perceptions of their parental role, we offer potential explanations for what underpins their parenting preferences and the rippling effects on their children’s career trajectories. Direction for areas of continued research are presented, and implications of the findings are discussed.

Classes of childhood adversities and their associations to the mental health of college undergraduates: a nationwide cross-sectional study

“…Corporal punishment, for instance, may have different meanings in Sub-Sahara African families than that of western families [ 43 ]. For example, Eritrean parents are more authoritarian towards their children and deeply interfere in all aspects of their lives even when they reach adulthood [ 44 ]. Likewise, children grow up in wide social networks of extended families where religious and cultural beliefs play significant roles in the daily lives and well-being of people [ 45 ].…”

Restrictive Reciprocal Obligations: Perceptions of Parental Role in Career Choices of Sub-Saharan African Migrant Youths

“…In-depth exploration of the findings revealed that participants' career choices are filtered through the lens of the SSA's acculturation model -prioritizing family needs and societal expectations (Akosah-Twumasi et al, 2020a). These familial and societal expectations serve as restrictive obligations that present a "fork in the career decision-making road" -a dilemma as to which career option to choose.…”

“…Family solidarity and commitment are also the normative practice of Chinese families as they maintain filial obligations to provide help to elderly parents (Ofstedal et al, 2004;Thang, 2010;Guo et al, 2012). Whether they live in their home country or they have migrated, families from SSA and Asia tend to maintain their heritage societal practices of familial duty and reciprocal obligations to the community (Sue and Okazaki, 1990;Kao and Thompson, 2003;Zhang, 2004;Akosah-Twumasi et al, 2020a).…”

“…This study was part of a larger exploratory study that involved SSA migrant parents and their children (Akosah-Twumasi et al, 2020a). A purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants.…”

“…Given the increasing numbers of families transitioning crossculturally from SSA countries, it is important to understand the perceptions of SSA migrant youths of their parents' roles in their career development in Australia. The realization that the national children's right framework within Australia (Cumming and Mawdsley, 2005) allows children to negotiate the selection of their career path with their parents or even override their parents' preferences might exacerbate the youths' already challenging process of career decision-making, particularly if their parents are insistent on maintaining their heritage cultural practices (Akosah-Twumasi et al, 2018, 2020a.…”