| Author: | Mak, Sau-chun |
| Title: | Exploring the help-seeking behaviours of the newly arrived mothers from China who have parenting problems |
| Degree: | M.A. |
| Year: | 1999 |
| Subject: | Mothers -- China -- Hong Kong Women immigrants -- China -- Hong Kong Parenting -- China -- Hong Kong Child rearing -- China -- Hong Kong Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Studies |
| Pages: | ix, 131, [6] leaves : ill. ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Social workers of family services had long noticed that clients who were newly arrived from China, tended to have a negative attitude towards the disclosure of family problems, no matter the problems are material or parenting. It was closely related with clients' attitude towards help-seeking. The study was attempted to examine the newly arrived mothers' parenting problems and their help-seeking behaviours, and to recommend services for them. The target of the study were the newly arrived mothers, aged 30-45, having children of primary school age, living in Hong Kong for 3 or less than 3 years. With the assistance from the Integrated Service Project for New Arrivals (Tsuen Wan & Kwai Tsing), the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, 5 newly arrived mothers from Mainland China were recruited. With the consideration of obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of human relationship, the general interview guide approach in qualitative study was applied. The result of the study revealed that language, financial constraints and congestive living environment were the significant factors affecting the newly arrived mothers' performance of effective parenting. As alleged by the informants, their children's education was the newly arrived mothers' main reason to migrate to Hong Kong. The mothers' over-emphasis on children's academic achievement, which had overridden the other developmental needs of their children, was also noted. The findings also indicated that the centripetal help-seeking behaviours of the newly arrived mothers. When all the resources were exhausted, they would then turn to professionals for assistance or just put the problems aside. The behaviours were closely related with their ignorance of and their traditional belief about help-seeking which was culturally orientated. Based on the findings, it is recommended that helping-professionals should pay special attention to the following factors when working with newly arrived mothers: 1.the stress arising from acculturation when adjusting to Hong Kong society; 2.the burden of their parental roles in taking care of children's education, and 3.the quality of their social supporting network and their attitude towards self-disclosure in the help-seeking process. Public education through mass media, using interpreters for non-Cantonese speaking mothers and strengthening the school-parent connection are ways to promote social services for newly arrived mothers. Funds should be provided for outreaching the hard-to-reach new immigrants. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b14897313.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 3.41 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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