Universidad de Salamanca
e-mail: wmen@usal.es
Harsh Choices: Chinese migrant families’ childcare strategies in Spain
This paper explores Chinese immigrant parents’ decision-making processes toward childcare arrangements in Spain based on migration status and kinship networks availability. Drawing upon 33 semi-structured interviews with Chinese parents who have pre-school aged children during the early stages of parenthood, this study reveals that Chinese immigrants’ childcare managements are largely based on informal childcare provided by extended family members in both host society and home country, concerning its high quality, flexibility and transfer of cultural values to the second-generation. Moreover, migrant parents’ childcare needs are constantly negotiated within the extended family due to grandparents’ care roles toward other family members. By exploring Chinese families’ collaborations, negotiations and even conflicts in childrearing decision-making process after family migration in the receiving country, our research contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of migration and kinship network on ethnic minority groups’ childcare choices. Qualitative research on Chinese immigrants’ family strategy provides a richer description of the complex family dynamics operating within transnational households and further advance our understanding on how ethnicity, immigration and family commitment impact their parenthood in immigrant context. Such an understanding would be very useful for planning specific services and intervention strategies that address the needs of immigrants during the various stages of the resettlement period. Thus, future initiatives to improve access to childcare services among this minority community need to be based on a proper understanding of cultural differences in childrearing practices and immigration status in terms of limited social support networks.
Bio:
Licenciada en Lengua Española (2018) por la Universidad Normal de Hebei (China), Máster en Estudios Latinoamericanos por Instituto de Iberoamérica de la Universidad de Salamanca. Desde 2020 he sido personal investigador en formación en el Departamento de Sociología y Comunicación bajo la dirección de Alberto del Rey Poveda. He participado en el proyecto de investigación “M2S MERCADO DE TRABAJO, MIGRACIONES, SALUD”. Mis líneas de investigación se centran en el estudio de fecundidad de la comunidad china en España.