A balancing act: The cultural choices and processes of cross-cultural mothering

Cross-cultural mothering is a term I have defined to refer to the values, intentions and practices relating to child rearing of women living within a culture and/or country other than the one in which they were born, acknowledging that these women bring with them in a dynamic and selective way, values and beliefs of child rearing upheld in their culture/country of origin. At the same time, immigrant mothers are involved in negotiating cultural values, practices and institutions of their place of settlement while maintaining ties with their home countries. In this study, I explore and analyze the cross-cultural mothering practices and experiences of twelve immigrant mothers living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. How do these migrant mothers experience motherhood away from the land in which they were born? What do their choices and negotiation processes of cross-cultural mothering have to offer to our general understandings of motherhood in the context of a diverse society? What do their experiences contribute to our general knowledge about the important role immigrant mothers play in shaping both the Canadian multicultural identity and the well being of this country? This project provides specific insights into women's values, intentions, and practices in raising their children and the implication of a socialization process inspired by such values, intentions and practices for the children's identity and integration into Canadian society. It explores the complex forms of agency women deploy to adjust to new contexts and environments, highlighting how women re-work their identities and negotiate their mothering practices and how this, in turn, influences Canadian identities and cultural diversity.