Educational Experiences of Immigrant Women of Racial Minority Groups in the Nova Scotian Post-Secondary Contexts
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Date
2010-04-14T15:23:23Z
Authors
Al-Khasawneh, Nisreen
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Abstract
My research study is an inquiry about a group of immigrant women's experiences
within the Nova Scotian education system. I interviewed immigrant women from Asia,
Africa, and the Middle East. The data collection stages of the research involved
conducting semi-structured interviews with five immigrant women from racial minority
groups. My thesis research is concerned with highlighting the experiences and
challenges facing immigrant women of racial minority groups within the Nova Scotian
academic system as they progress through their postsecondary educational journey. The
women I interviewed do not have English as their first language; they all immigrated to
Canada within the past five years, and they all currently enrolled in university.
My research begins by focusing on the literature that discusses the state of gender
equity, particularly in the education system. I discuss the literature that highlights the
barriers that are specific to women in general, and I relate this exploration to the
experiences of women from racial minority groups. I also concentrate on the problems
confronting immigrant women from racial minority groups who are enrolled in a postsecondary
educational institution. Where I was able, I drew connections between my
participants' experiences in education and the similar problems facing women from
various other minority groups which I found in the literature. In addition to the
interviews with the research participants, I also drew on my personal experiences as an
immigrant woman to discuss related issues.
The critical backdrop of my thesis is feminist theory "[f]eminism is a belief that
women and men are inherently of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a
group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies" (Freedman, 2002, p.7). My study also examines life events and the difficulties faced by
women of racial minority groups who immigrated to Canada. For many immigrants
attempting to resettle in a foreign country often involve certain challenges such as
language acquisition, learning a foreign curriculum and educational strategies,
resettlement processes, and culture shock. (Leslau, Krausz & Nussbaum, 1995). At the
same time, adult education is concerned with social change and empowerment of learners
and is therefore critical for immigrant adult learners. Part of empowering immigrants
means encouraging their involvement in educational programs, since some of the formal
and non formal educational programs and sites are often act as places for immigrant
students to learn not only the theoretical frameworks of a subject, but also to gain
valuable information about many aspects concerning their new country. It is highly
important to research some of these immigrants' feelings and needs. My findings
reinforce the importance that adult educators deal with minorities in the classrooms in a
way that includes them in the teaching and learning environment.
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Keywords
Feminism , Minority women , Sex discrimination , Higher education , Nova Scotia